William Birch (painter) facts for kids
William Russell Birch (born April 9, 1755 – died August 7, 1834) was a talented artist from England. He was known for painting tiny portraits called miniatures, working with enamel (a type of glass coating), and creating detailed pictures by engraving landscapes.
Early Life and Art
William Birch was born in Warwickshire, England. His father, Thomas Birch, was a doctor. As a young boy, William learned about art by working with a jeweler named Thomas Jeffreys. He also trained with a famous painter, Sir Joshua Reynolds.
A skilled artist named Henry Spicer taught William how to paint with enamel. Enamel painting uses powdered glass that is melted onto metal to create a shiny, durable picture. William showed his enamel portraits at the Royal Academy in London for many years, from 1781 to 1794. In 1785, he even won a special medal from the Royal Society of Arts for his work.
As an engraver, William Birch became famous in England for a collection of thirty-six pictures called Délices de la Grande Bretagne. These pictures, published in 1791, showed old buildings in places like Norwich.
Moving to America
In 1794, William Birch moved to Philadelphia, which was then a very important city in the United States. There, he continued to create beautiful enamel portraits. He even made copies of famous paintings of George Washington by another artist named Gilbert Stuart.
William Birch is especially well-known in America for his series of engravings called The City of Philadelphia. These pictures showed different views of the city in 1800. They were so popular that he published three more versions of the collection!
William Birch was also the father of Thomas Birch, who became a well-known American painter of portraits and marine (sea) scenes. William Birch passed away in Philadelphia when he was 79 years old.
Famous Works
William Birch created several important collections of art:
- The City of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania North America. This collection of engravings showed different parts of Philadelphia in 1800.
- The Country Seats of the United States, published in 1808. This collection featured pictures of large country homes.
- An enamel portrait of George Washington, based on a painting by Gilbert Stuart. This piece is now kept at the Lázaro Galdiano Museum in Madrid, Spain.
