Samuel Laurence facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Samuel Laurence
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| Born | 1812 Guildford, Surrey
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| Died | 28 February 1884 London
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| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Portrait painter |
| Spouse(s) | Anastasia Gliddon |
Samuel Laurence (sometimes spelled Lawrence) was a British portrait painter who lived from 1812 to 1884. He was known for painting famous people of his time.
Contents
Early Life and Art
Samuel Laurence was born in Guildford, Surrey, in 1812. From a young age, he showed a strong love for art. He quickly became skilled at painting portraits, which are pictures of people.
His first paintings were shown at the Society of British Artists in 1834. Then, in 1836, he sent three portraits to the important Royal Academy exhibition. One of these was a painting of Mrs. Somerville.
Painting Famous Faces
Samuel Laurence became very popular for his portraits. He painted many important people. These included famous writers, scientists, and thinkers.
Some of the well-known people he painted in oil include:
- Thomas Carlyle (a famous writer)
- Charles Babbage (a mathematician, known as the "father of the computer")
- Dr. William Whewell (a scientist and philosopher)
- Robert Browning (a famous poet)
- The Rev. Frederick Denison Maurice (a well-known church leader)
He also created many beautiful drawings using crayons. Some of these drawings were of:
- Charles Dickens (the famous author of "Oliver Twist")
- William Makepeace Thackeray (another important writer)
- Anthony Trollope (a popular novelist)
- George Eliot (a female author whose real name was Mary Ann Evans)
Laurence stopped showing his art at the Suffolk Street gallery in 1853. However, his work continued to be shown at the Royal Academy until 1882. His last piece there was a drawing of George Eliot.
Friends in High Places
Samuel Laurence was friends with many important writers and thinkers of his time. He was very close to George Henry Lewes and Thornton Leigh Hunt. His best friend was James Spedding, who was famous for editing the works of Francis Bacon.
Many of his portraits were made into engravings. This meant copies could be printed and shared widely. Some of his most famous engraved portraits include:
- Thackeray reading a letter
- Carlyle writing at his desk
- Mrs. Gaskell (a well-known author)
- William Edward Forster (a politician)
His oil painting of Leigh Hunt, from 1837, was very successful. It was shown in a special exhibition in 1868.
Samuel Laurence passed away in London on February 28, 1884, at the age of 72.
Family and Travels
Samuel Laurence married Anastasia Gliddon. She was the cousin and adopted sister of Mrs. Thornton Leigh Hunt. Early in their marriage, they traveled to Italy, visiting Florence and Venice.
While in Italy, Laurence carefully studied the paintings of the old masters. He wanted to learn their techniques and understand how they created such amazing art.
In 1854, he traveled to the United States. He stayed at the home of the famous poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Massachusetts. While there, he drew a portrait of another American poet, James Russell Lowell. This drawing was also later engraved.
His Art Today
You can still see Samuel Laurence's artwork in famous galleries today.
The National Portrait Gallery, London in London has several of his pieces:
- Oil portraits of Charles Babbage and Sir Thomas Bourchier
- An unfinished oil portrait of Thackeray
- Chalk drawings of Sir Frederick Pollock and Sir Charles Wheatstone
- An unfinished sketch of Matthew James Higgins, also known as 'Jacob Omnium'
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery has a crayon drawing of Thomas Carlyle. His portrait of Dr. Whewell is at Trinity College, Cambridge. A portrait of Thackeray can be found at the Reform Club in London.
