Joshua Cristall facts for kids
Joshua Cristall (born 1767, died 1847) was a talented English painter. He was especially known for his beautiful watercolour paintings. For a while, he even led the Royal Watercolour Society, which is a group for artists who use watercolours. People admired his paintings because they looked free and simple.
Contents
Life Story of Joshua Cristall
Joshua Cristall was born in Camborne, a town in Cornwall, England. His mother loved classic art and shared this passion with him. She encouraged his artistic dreams.
However, his father, who was from Scotland, did not want Joshua to be an artist. He was very much against it. But Joshua's mother secretly helped him follow his dream to study art.
Early Struggles and Art School
Joshua went to school in London. His sister, Ann Batten Cristall, who later became a poet and teacher, joined him there.
At first, Joshua worked for a company that sold china in Rotherhithe. He found this job very boring. So, he left and went to the Staffordshire Potteries. There, he found work painting designs on china.
This job also felt too dull for him. So, he moved back to London. This was a very hard time for Joshua. He faced many difficulties and had little money. He worked very hard to study fine arts.
It is said that during this time, he tried to live for a whole year on just potatoes and water. This made him very sick. Even with these challenges, his mother secretly helped him, and he kept trying.
Finally, he was accepted into the school of the Royal Academy. Here, he quickly improved his art skills. He met Dr. Monro, a famous art collector, and visited his home. There, he met other rising watercolour artists of the time.
Leading the Royal Watercolour Society
In 1805, Joshua Cristall helped start the Royal Watercolour Society. This was a big step for him. He showed his paintings to the public for the first time at their exhibition.
He continued to show his art there for many years. Later, he even became the President of the Society. This meant he was in charge of the group.
Later Life and Passing
By 1822, Joshua's health was not good. He moved to Goodrich on the Wye, a beautiful place where he had bought a house. He spent many happy years there.
However, in 1840, his wife passed away. This loss made him very sad, and he moved back to London. Joshua Cristall died in London in 1847. As he wished, he was buried next to his wife in Goodrich.
Joshua Cristall's Artworks
In his younger years, Cristall often painted classical figures with landscapes. These were scenes from old stories with beautiful natural backgrounds. Some of his famous paintings from this time include Lycidas, Judgment of Paris, Hylas and the Nymphs, and Diana and Endymion.
Later, he started painting everyday scenes and groups of people from the countryside. These are called "genre subjects" and "rustic groups."
Around 1813, he also tried painting portraits. These were usually small, full-body pictures of people with a landscape in the background. He used a special watercolour technique for these.
As a watercolour painter, Cristall was highly respected. People admired his free and simple style of painting. You can see five of his drawings at the South Kensington Museum. These include The Young Fisher-Boy and The Fish Market on Hastings Beach.
Cristall was also an early member of the Sketching Society. He sometimes added classical figures to landscapes painted by Barret. He also painted groups of people in George Fennell Robson's Scotch Scenery artworks.
