s
BAR
o beyond portraits of horses. He died at
Bristol, June 12, 1793. BARKER, Thomas (known as * Barker of Bath')* landscape and subject painter. Born 1769, near Pontypool, Monmouth- shire. Son of the foregoing. Removed with his family to Bath, where, showing a talent for art. and assisted in means by a friend, he made some good copies from the Dutch masters; and continuing to improve, at the age of 21 his friend made him a liberal allowance to go to Italy. He was there pursuing his studies in 1793, when his father died. He first exhibited at the Academy in 1791 — two landscapes and a ' Moonlight with Banditti; ' in 1796, three Italian landscapes and a portrait; and continued an occasional exhibitor up to 1829. He also exhibited at the British Institution for many years. His sketches were truthful, but slight and unfinished in manner. His * Woodman/ 'Old Tom,' 'The Gipsy/ and other rustic groups, were very popular, and were reproduced on china, pottery, and even the textile fabrics. The 'Woodman/ of which he made two copies life-size, sold for 500 guineas; his ' Woodman's Cottage-door/ in 1819. for 350 guineas. He painted ' The Trial of Queen Caroline/ introducing many portraits, 1821; and a fresco, 30 feet by 12 feet, m his house at Bath, ' The Inroad of the Turks upon Scio/ 1822. He made an exhibition of his works in the great room in Lower Brook Street, where the Water-Colour Society opened their first exhibition. He died at Bath in his 79th year, December 11; 1847. He published, in 1813, ' Rustic Figures after Nature/ in 40 tinted plates; drew also on stone, and published a series of lithographic works.
BARKER, Benjamin, landscape painter. Brother of the above. Born in 1776. He resided at Bath, and occasion- ally exhibited at the Academy—in 1800 and 1801, Welsh views; in 1810, two landscapes; in 1813, a scene near Arundel; and in 1821, his last contribution, a Sussex landscape. During the years 1813-20 he was a large exhibitor of views and land- scape compositions at the Water-Colour Society. He was also an exhibitor at the British Institution. Though a student from nature, his landscape compositions are often imitations of the old masters. His works, both in oil and water-colour, no less show much taste and feeling, and have considerable merit, but he found little encouragement. His ' English Landscape Scenery ' was published in 1843 . He died at Totnes, after a lingering illness, March 2, 1838, aged 62. Thales Fielding engraved 48 of his landscapes in aqua-tint.
BARKER, Robert, panorama painter. Porn in 1739, at Kells, in the county of Meath. He set up in business in Dublin,
BAR
and failing in this, tried miniature and
Portrait painting; then, quitting Ireland, e settled in Edinburgh, and followed portrait art there. The view from the Calton Hill first suggested the panorama. He had made himself master of the prin- ciples of perspective; and in 1787 he determined to execute the half -circle view from the hilJL to prove the practicability of his idea. This he completed in water- colours and brought to London in the following year. Sir Joshua Reynolds was greatly pleased with his attempt, but thought his scheme impracticable. He, however, persevered, and patented his plan under the title of 'La Nature a Coup- d'oeuV Then completing a whole-circle view of Edinburgh, he exhibited it in that city, Glasgow, and London; but he did not at first meet with success in the Metropolis. His next workj however, a view of London from the Albion Mills, became popular; and, encouraged by this, he built in 1793 a new exhibition-room at the corner of Leicester Square, and painted the ' Russian Fleet at Spithead/ which was visited by the King and Queen, and became the talk of the town. A succession of his pano- ramas, among which the Elba, Athens, and Say of Lisbon, were very fine, were long the favourites of the public. Stothard admired his genius, and spoke of him in high terms. He died in West Square, Lambeth, April 8, 1806, aged 67, leaving two sons.
BARBER, Henry Aston, panorama painter. Younger son of the above. Was born at Glasgow, 1774. When quite a youth, he made the drawings for his fathers first panorama from the Calton Hill, and was for some time a teacher of perspective in Edinburgh. In 1789 he made the drawings of London for the same purpose, and afterwards etching them in six large sheets, published them. He was the chief assistant in the production of his father's panoramas, and on coming to London was admitted a student of the Academy. Succeeding his father, he went to Constantinople to make drawings for the panorama of that city, which he opened in 1802; and on the peace of Amiens, he went to Paris to make sketches for a panorama. He had a good knowledge of shipping. He was at Palermo in 1799, and at Copenhagen in 1801, and made sketches for panoramas of the two naval actions which were fought off those cities. In 1810 he was at Malta. He assisted Messrs. Burford in their panoramas of the Peninsular actions and of Waterloo, and went to Venice in 1819 to make drawings for the panorama of that city. His last work was the Coronation procession of George IV., 1822. In 1826 he retired from his profession, having realised a
23
