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| William Beechey (1753–1839) | ||||||||||
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Born in Burford, Oxfordshire,
Beechey became a student at the Royal Academy in 1772. He spent several
years in Norwich painting portraits and scenes in the manner of Hogarth,
before returning to London, where his smaller portraits earned him
considerable reputation. This brought him regular commissions from
fashionable society and the nobility. In 1793, he painted a portrait of
Queen Charlotte and was appointed her official portrait painter. Beechey
became an Associate of the Royal Academy the same year. In 1798, he
completed a large equestrian portrait of George III, considered his
finest work. That year he was elected a Royal Academician and was
knighted. It is said that he exhibited 362 portraits at the Academy.
Although successful in capturing likenesses, some critics considered
that his female subjects were thought to lack grace, and his male
sitters, character. Beechey died in London. |
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Art