The Death of Chatterton facts for kids

The Death of Chatterton is a famous oil painting created by the English artist Henry Wallis in 1856. This artwork is now kept at Tate Britain in London. There are also two smaller versions of the painting. One is at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and the other is at the Yale Center for British Art. The main painting at Tate Britain is about 62.2 centimeters tall and 93.3 centimeters wide.

About the Painting's Story

This painting shows a young poet named Thomas Chatterton. He was only 17 years old when he died in 1770. The painting shows him after he had taken poison. Many young artists during Henry Wallis's time saw Chatterton as a Romantic hero. He was seen as someone who struggled for his art.

Art Style and Details

Wallis painted Chatterton in a style called Pre-Raphaelite. This style uses very bright colors and lots of small, symbolic details. You can see this in the painting's strong colors. Wallis also used natural light coming from the window. This helped him create a dramatic effect called chiaroscuro, which means using strong contrasts between light and dark.

The artist painted this scene in a friend's room in Gray's Inn, London. You can even see St Paul's Cathedral through the window. It's interesting that this spot was very close to where Chatterton actually died many years before. The young man who posed for the painting was George Meredith. He later became a well-known English writer.

When the Painting Became Famous

The Death of Chatterton was the first painting Henry Wallis ever showed to the public. It was displayed at the Royal Academy summer exhibition in 1856. On its frame, there was a quote from an old play: "Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight, And burned is Apollo's laurel bough."

The painting was an instant hit! A famous art critic, John Ruskin, said it was "faultless and wonderful." Many people came to see it at the Art Treasures Exhibition in Manchester in 1857. It was also shown in Dublin in 1859. This painting became one of the most popular artworks of the 1800s. Many copies were made and sold.

Where the Painting Has Been

Henry Wallis sold the painting to another artist, Augustus Egg, in 1856. Egg then sold the rights for people to make copies of it. The painting even caused a court case once! A photographer in Dublin tried to recreate the scene with real people. He wanted to sell photos of it.

In 1899, a man named Charles Gent Clement gave the painting to the Tate Gallery. That's why it's still there today.

Other Versions of the Painting

Henry Wallis made two smaller versions of The Death of Chatterton. One is a study or a copy at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. It is about 17.3 centimeters tall and 25.25 centimeters wide. The other is a small oil painting on wood. It is at the Yale Center for British Art and measures about 22.7 centimeters tall and 30.2 centimeters wide.

The Birmingham version was sold in 1875 and again in 1877. It was later given to the gallery in 1918.

Inspirations from the Painting

This painting has inspired people even in modern times. For example, the lead singer of a music group called Feu! Chatterton said he named his band after this very painting.