William Armfield Hobday facts for kids
William Armfield Hobday (born in 1771, died on February 17, 1831) was a talented English artist. He was known for painting portraits and small, detailed pictures called miniatures. Some of his famous clients included members of the royal family and the wealthy Rothschild family.
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About His Life
Hobday was born in Birmingham, England. He was the oldest of four sons. His father, Samuel Hobday, was a successful spoon maker. William showed a natural talent for drawing from a young age.
Early Training
When he was still a boy, William was sent to London. There, he became an apprentice to an engraver named William Barney. He worked with Barney for six years. During this time, he also studied art at the Royal Academy schools.
Starting His Career
In 1794, Hobday started his own art business in London. He painted miniatures and watercolour portraits. He also began showing his work at the Royal Academy. He quickly became popular with fashionable clients. He married Elizabeth Ivory from Worcester.
In 1800, he moved to Holles Street in Cavendish Square. For a short time, he spent money very freely, often supported by his father.
Moving to Bristol
In 1804, Hobday left London and moved to Bristol. For several years, he was busy painting portraits of officers. These officers were getting ready to leave for the Peninsular War. Even though Hobday earned a lot of money, he continued to spend too much. This often led to financial problems for him.
Return to London
After the war ended, Hobday returned to London in 1817. He hoped to restart his art career and social connections. He took a large house in Broad Street. However, things did not go as well as he hoped.
Still, he found a patron in Nathan Mayer Rothschild. Hobday painted a family group portrait for Rothschild. He was paid a large sum for this work.
In 1821, he moved to 54 Pall Mall. This building had large art galleries. He tried a new business idea. He opened these galleries to sell paintings for other artists. Many leading English and French artists supported him. However, this business did not succeed. In 1820, Hobday went bankrupt. This means he could no longer pay his debts.
Family Life
In 1831, Hobday married Maria Pearce Ustonson. She was born Maria Pearce in Exeter in 1784. William Armfield Hobday died on February 17 of that same year.
One of Hobday's sons was George Armfield Smith. He became a famous painter of dogs. His daughter, Harriet Eliza, married the English composer Robert Lucas de Pearsall.
His Art Work
Throughout his career, Hobday often showed his paintings at the Royal Academy. He even continued to exhibit while living in Bristol. In 1819, he displayed a portrait of the Duke of Sussex there.
His best known work was a painting of Carolus the Hermit of Tong. The current location of this painting is unknown. His portrait of Miss Biggs as Cora was made into an engraving. So was his portrait of Richard Reynolds, a kind Quaker from Bristol.
Hobday always had many clients and earned good prices for his art. However, his spending habits sometimes affected the quality of his work.
Famous Clients
Some of Hobday's important clients included Dr. Edward Jenner. Dr. Jenner was a pioneer in developing vaccines. He also painted King George IV. This portrait was last sold in 1911. The wealthy Rothschild family were also his clients. Hobday was also a close friend of fellow artist George Morland. He painted a portrait of Morland as well.
