Samuel Scott (painter) facts for kids
Samuel Scott (born 1702 – died 12 October 1772) was a famous British painter. He was well-known for his beautiful paintings of riversides and seascapes, which are pictures of the sea and ships.
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Early Life and Artistic Beginnings
Samuel Scott was born in London around 1702. He started painting when he was about 18 years old, around 1720. We don't know much about how he learned to paint.
He began his career as an artist who focused on the sea. He painted large warships and other boats on calm waters. His style was similar to a famous Dutch painter named Willem van de Velde. Scott even owned many of van de Velde's drawings.
Scott also worked with another artist, George Lambert. They painted six pictures together showing places owned by the East India Company. Scott painted the ships, while Lambert painted the buildings and the land. In 1733, a writer named George Vertue said Scott was one of London's "most elevated men in art," meaning he was highly respected.
Adventures and London Views
From May 27 to 31, 1732, Scott went on a fun trip called a "Five days' Peregrination." He traveled with his friend William Hogarth, another famous artist, and others. They explored the Medway estuary and the Isle of Sheppey. A story about their trip was written down and published later in 1782. It even had pictures based on drawings by Hogarth and Scott.
In the early 1740s, Scott started drawing different parts of London. He was especially interested in the new Westminster Bridge, which was being built at the time. When another famous painter, Canaletto, came to London in 1746, paintings of city views became very popular. Scott then turned his sketches into oil paintings.
He painted at least eleven different versions of Old London Bridge. The earliest one was from 1747. He even kept painting copies of it after 1757, even though the houses that lined the bridge in his paintings had been taken down. His London Bridge pictures were often painted in pairs. One painting would show London Bridge, and the other would show the Tower of London or Westminster Bridge.
Later Career and Legacy
Between 1761 and 1771, Samuel Scott showed his artwork at several important exhibitions. He displayed three paintings at the Society of Artists and one at the Free Society of Artists. In 1771, he also showed a painting called A View of the Tower of London at the Royal Academy.
Scott was one of the first artists to use watercolours. Some people even called him the "father of English watercolour." However, most of his important works were done with oil paints. Some of his most famous paintings showed scenes from the War of Jenkins' Ear.
Scott became very well-known for his paintings of shores and rivers. His works were praised for being well-drawn and beautifully painted, with lively figures of people. Horace Walpole, who owned many of Scott's paintings, said they "will charm in every age." He also said that while Scott was perhaps second to van de Velde in sea paintings, he was better at showing a wider variety of scenes. Because of his amazing views of London Bridge, the Custom-house Quay, and other pictures of the River Thames, people called him "the English Canaletto."
Scott lived at 2 Henrietta Street in Covent Garden, London, from 1747 to 1758. He then moved to Twickenham in 1758. Later, he moved to Ludlow, where his daughter lived, before finally retiring to Bath. He passed away in Bath in October 1772 from a condition called gout. He left behind only one daughter. His collection of drawings and prints was sold in January 1773.
Two other artists, William Marlow (1740–1813) and Sawrey Gilpin (1733–1807), were students of Samuel Scott.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Samuel Scott para niños
