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favoured in every respect, and not in the least anticipating the termination of his career, after only a few days' illness, he died, of ossification of the heart, on January 7, 1830, and after lying in state at the Royal Academy, was buried with great ceremony in St. Paul's Cathedral In the spring of the same year a fine collection of his works, which included 91 pictures, was exhibited at the British Institution, and the proceeds, which amounted to 30006., were presented to his nieces by the directors.
Lawrence had never married ; an early engagement to the daughter of Mr. Siddons was broken off by the lady's father, on the ground of the inadequacy of the young painter's income ; and fond of female society, on one or two other occasions he is said to have entered into engagements, which, however, still left him a bachelor. The pro- fits of his profession must have been large. His last list of prices was — head, 2107. ; kit-cat, 315J. ; half-length, 4301. ; Bishop's half-length, 525£. ; full-length, 6302. ; extra full-length, 7351. For the portrait of Lady Oower and child he received 1500 guineas, and for his Master Lambton 600 guineas. Upon a fine collection of drawings which he made, he is estimated to have expended 60,0002. On his death they did not realise 20,0002. He could not resist the tempta- tion of a fine drawing, if he could command the money. But he was during his whole career needy, and sometimes compelled to seek payment for his works before they were finished, His only extravagance was in the purchase of works of art, and he had a family of sisters and brothers, who depended largely upon him.
Lawrence early adopted a style of his own, and made little change in his manner, seeking no new methods of execution. Beside his great predecessor's works, his appear thin and weak, his colouring tinty and artificial ; his drawing, though refined, effeminate; and his works marked by an artificial look approaching insipidity. His compositions want variety, and his back- grounds were too frequently merely com- monplace. He painted some large historical subjects— in 1797, his * Satan ' which was severely criticised : next 'Corioianus/ which he called a half -nistory picture: followed by ' Holla,' * Cato,' and * Hamlet,' which he placed above all his works, except the ' Satan/ His art was highly esteemed by his contemporaries; and as much as he had risen above his true rank in his lifetime, on his death he fell beneath it. But time, which has failed to place him in the position he once enjoyed, has now assigned to him his true place ; yet this is not m the front rank. A life of him by D. E. Williams was published in 1831, but it is a verbose performance.
LEA, Richard, architect. Practised 264
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with much reputation in the reign of Henry VIII. He is said to have mixed the Gothic and the classic in a strange manner, which probably refers to what is now termed the ' Tudor style.'
LEADER, William, engraver. Prac- tised in London, in mezzo-tint, about the middle of the 18th century, working chiefly after the old masters.
LEAHY, Edward Daniel, portrait painter. He was born in London, and first appears as an exhibitor at the Aca- demy in 1820, when he contributed ' Mrs. Yates as Meg Merrilies ; ' and continued an exhibitor of portraits, with an occasional subject picture, up to 1853. In 1830, ' Jacques and the wounded Stag ; ' in 1837,
- Escape of Mary, Queen of Scots, from
Lochleven Castle;' in 1844, 'Lady Jane Grey summoned to Execution;' in 1852, 'Un piccolo Pfitferaro.' He died at Brighton, February 9, 1875, aged 77.
LEAKE, Kehky, portrait painter. He was the son of an eminent Dookseller at Bath, and a pupil of Hoare, R. A. He came to London about 1764, and exhibited por- traits in 1765-66, remaining about two years. He then went to the East Indies, but did not long survive.
LEAKEY, James, portrait and minia- tttre painter. Was born at Exeter in 1773 : and early in the present century painted with much success portraits and miniatures in oil, which were well coloured and finished with great care. He was established at Exeter, and, well known, was employed in the Western counties, where his miniatures were held in esteem. He resided in London in 1821-22, and in those years exhibited at the Royal Academy ' The marvellous Tale/ ' The Fortune Teller/ and two Devonshire landscapes. In 1838, while residing at Exeter, he sent to the Academy three por- traits, with two landscapes. He died at Exeter. February 16, 1865, aged 92.
LEBANS, John, master mason. Was employed in this capacity in the erection of Henry VII.'s chapel at Westminster.
LE BLOND, Christopher James, en- graver. Was born at Frankfort in 1670. Studied in Italy under Carlo Maratti, and afterwards practised as a miniature painter in Amsterdam. He was fond of mechanics, and discovered a process of printing mezzo- tint plates in colours. He came to England, and executed several plates by this process, but they were not much esteemed, and he disposed of them by lottery. He ^published his process under the title of ' Coloretto.' He then set on foot a project for working the Raphael cartoons in tapestry, made the drawings and erected looms for the work at Chelsea, but he did not meet with support, and suddenly disappeared. He went to Paris, where he died in a hospital in 1740. His coloured prints, though the colours were
