Robert Cleveley facts for kids
Robert Cleveley (born 1747 in Deptford, died September 28, 1809, in Dover) was a famous English artist who specialized in painting scenes of the sea and ships.
His father, John Cleveley the Elder, and his twin brother, John Cleveley the Younger, were also artists. John the Younger, and possibly Robert too, learned how to paint with watercolours from a teacher named Paul Sandby.
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Robert Cleveley's Early Life and Career
Robert's father had tried to work in a dockyard but didn't succeed. Robert also tried working as a caulker (someone who seals ships to make them waterproof) in a dockyard. However, he didn't enjoy it much, especially when other workers made fun of him for wearing gloves!
In 1770, Robert left the dockyard and joined the Royal Navy as a clerk. His first job was with Captain William Locker, who was known for helping artists. Soon after, Robert worked for Captain George Vandeput on a long trip aboard the ship Asia. They sailed to the West Indies and North America. Captain Vandeput became a very good friend to Robert for the rest of his life.
The Asia returned in 1777. From then on, Robert had two careers at the same time. He was a purser (an officer in charge of money and supplies) on different ships in the Home Fleet (the navy's ships stationed near Britain). He probably had someone else do most of his purser duties. At the same time, he was a successful marine painter. This allowed him to proudly show his artwork as "Robert Cleveley of the Royal Navy."
What Kind of Art Did Robert Cleveley Create?
Robert Cleveley first showed his paintings at the Royal Academy in 1780. He was especially good at painting naval battles. He also painted important royal events involving the navy. For example, he created a painting called "View of the Fleet at Spithead Saluting George III at his Review in 1793," which you can see at the National Maritime Museum today. Many of his paintings were later made into engravings, which are prints that could be sold to more people.
Just like his brother John, Robert also used his other brother, James, to help him with his art. James was a carpenter on Captain Cook's third famous voyage around the world. This gave Robert access to drawings and ideas from the trip. He used these to create art about the South Seas, which was very popular at the time. One example is his 1789 print of A view of Botany Bay.
Royal Connections and Later Life
Even with his busy painting career, Robert still went on occasional sea trips with his friend Captain Vandeput. For instance, in 1783, he served as an "assistant to the clerk of the kitchen" when the royal yacht Princess Augusta (commanded by Vandeput) took Prince William Henry (who later became Duke of Clarence and then King William IV) to Hanover.
Being around royalty helped Robert get a special job. He was appointed as the Marine Draughtsman (a kind of official artist for naval scenes) first to the Duke of Clarence, and later to the Prince Regent (who would become King George IV).
Robert Cleveley died in 1809 in Dover. Sadly, he passed away after accidentally falling down a cliff.
Images for kids
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Destruction of French fleet off the Nile (1798)
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A view of Botany Bay (1789)
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View in Port Jackson (1789)
