John Knowles (author) facts for kids

John Knowles (born 1781, died 21 July 1841) was an English writer. He is known for writing about the artist Henry Fuseli. He also wrote books about how to design and build ships, which is called Naval architecture.

Life of John Knowles

John Knowles was born in 1781. When he was young, he started working for the British Navy. He worked in the department that surveyed ships. Around 1806, he became the chief clerk. He kept this important job until 1832.

He wrote several books about ships and how they are built. One famous book was The Elements and Practice of Naval Architecture, published in 1822. Because of his scientific work, he became a member of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected group for scientists.

But John Knowles is most famous for his close friendship with Henry Fuseli. Fuseli was a well-known painter. Knowles was a big fan of Fuseli's art. When Fuseli passed away, Knowles was in charge of his will.

Knowles never married. He died in Ashburton, Devonshire, on 21 July 1841. He was 60 years old. He was one of the first members of the Athenæum Club in London. His picture was drawn by Charles Landseer. It was part of a series of famous portraits. Knowles was also a member of the Philosophical Society of Rotterdam.

Works of John Knowles

In 1830, John Knowles published a special edition of Fuseli's Lectures on Painting. These were talks Fuseli gave about art. In 1831, Knowles wrote a three-volume book about Fuseli's life. He loved Fuseli's art and wanted to share his story. This book also included Fuseli's own writings about art.