William Aglionby facts for kids

William Aglionby (born around 1642, died 1705) was an interesting English person who had many talents! He was a doctor, but he was also known for studying art history, translating books, and working as a diplomat for his country.

William Aglionby's Life Story

William Aglionby was likely the son of George Aglionby. His father was a teacher to a nobleman named William Cavendish. William Aglionby himself earned a special medical degree (an M.D.) from the University of Bordeaux in France. He spoke French very well, which sometimes caused him problems when he was trying to prove he was English while in France!

In 1667, Aglionby was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected group in England that focuses on science. From 1669 to 1671, he worked as a private teacher for important young men like Sir Andrew Henley. Later, in 1679, he became a secretary for Sir William Temple in a place called The Hague.

During the 1680s, Aglionby worked as a doctor in London. His office was in an area called Broad Street. In 1687, he received his license from the Royal College of Physicians, which meant he was officially allowed to practice medicine. At this time, he was also very active in the Royal Society.

Later in his life, in 1698, Aglionby took on diplomatic roles. He tried to arrange a postal agreement with French officials in Calais. He also had other important jobs as a diplomat in cities like Madrid, Turin, and Zurich. He worked with famous people such as James Brydges and Matthew Prior.

Aglionby's Writings on Art

William Aglionby's most important book was called Painting Illustrated in Three Diallogues (published in 1685). People say it was the first original English book of its kind about art. It focused on the idea that Italian history painting was the most important type of art. The book included short biographies of eleven famous Italian painters.

Aglionby used a famous book by Giorgio Vasari called Lives as a source. But he picked and chose what he wanted to use and added his own ideas. He started with the lives of early painters like Cimabue and Giotto. Then he added a discussion about the history of painting. After that, he wrote about famous artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Titian. He also used information from other art writers like Gian Pietro Bellori.

Even though he focused on Italian art, Aglionby also mentioned a few artists from northern Europe in a good way. These included Dürer, Holbein, Rubens, and Van Dyck.

Aglionby was proud of English art too. He believed that art was getting better in England after 1660. He especially praised the painter John Riley and the sculptor Grinling Gibbons. Since English artists weren't known for history painting, he argued that they were very successful at portrait painting, which is painting pictures of people.

Other Books Aglionby Translated

Besides his art book, William Aglionby also translated several other books from different languages into English:

• Art of Chymistry: As it is now Practiced (1668): This was a translation of a book about chemistry by Pierre Thibaut.
• The History of the Pope's Nephews (1669): He translated this book by Gregorio Leti.
• The Present State of the United Provinces (1669): This book was based on a French book about the Netherlands by Jean de Parival.
• Whole Art of the Stage (1684): This was a translation of a book about theater by François Hedelin.
• Painting Illustrated in Three Diallogues (1685): His famous art book is available to read online.