Sir William Beechey RA, (1753-1839).
William Beechey was born in the village of Burford to the west of Oxford on the 12th of December 1753, he was one of five children, his parents being William Beechey and Hannah Read. On their deaths he was raised by his uncle Samuel who was a solicitor with hopes that he might follow him into law. As a young man William Beechey did commence his articles, and it was during this period he became acquainted with students of the Royal Academy of Arts and subsequently would abandon his legal training and would himself enter the Royal Academy in 1772.
During this period, it is believed he studied under Johan Zoffany, arguably the master of the ‘theatrical conversation piece’ and painting for the likes of David Garrick a celebrated actor of the period and not least King George III and Queen Charlotte, he was also known by such artists as Turner and Reynolds. He would soon establish himself as a fine master portraitist achieving his first exhibited work at the Royal Academy in 1776, and almost every year thereafter, an impressive period of some sixty years. His move to Norwich in 1782 would see him meet his second wife, Anne Phyliss Jessop whom he married in 1793, they would go on to have fifteen children together, and during this period having moved back to London became an Associate of the Royal Academy and portrait painter to Queen Charlotte.
This fertile period would see commissions which included portraits of John Douglas Bishop of Carlise, Sir John Wodehouse and King George III. This rich vein of portraiture some arguably in the tradition of Sir Joshua Reynolds, would perhaps recognise the 1790’s as the artists most celebrated period which records the number of Royal commissions markedly increased not least in part a reflection of his election as a full member of the Royal Academy in 1798 and subsequent knighthood of the same year. His most celebrated work is arguably a painting of King George III and the Price of Wales, Prince Frederick and others reviewing the troops for the forthcoming academy exhibition, Revue de Cavalry, was a substantial work and captures this imaginary event in Hyde Park. It was understood to have been extremely well received by King George III, and perhaps this ‘masterpiece’ contributed to his celebrated achievements.
Photo Credit: Royal Academy of Arts.
It could be argued William Beechey temporarily fell somewhat out of favour around the early nineteenth century he did nevertheless retain the most impressive catalogue of both royal and influential portraiture not least the likes of Admiral Horatio Nelson, Pascal Paoli, John Kemble and many more. Royal favour was soon to return with the appointment to portrait painter of Price William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and subsequently in 1830 the portraitist to King William IV.
William Beechey retired to Hampstead in 1836, and in the summer of the same year sold his entire studio contents together with his collection through Christies, he would die some three years later on 28th January 1839.
Sir William Beechey works continue to be highly sought and have been sold at numerous worldwide auctions achieving commendable sums depending on, subject, size medium, the most recent recorded sum being 821,000USD for The Dashwood Children, sold at Christie’s New York in 2014.
‘In a sense, every portrait is a self portrait as the painting will reveal more about the artist than ever their subject’
(J). Galleriedesart.com.
Photo credit: Royal Academy of Arts.