User:Rich Farmbrough/DNB/J/o/John Cranch

John Cranch|1751|1821| John Cranch (born 1751 died 1821), painter, born at Kingsbridge, Devonshire, 12 October 1751, taught himself as a boy drawing, writing, and music, and while a clerk at Axminster also received instruction from a catholic priest. Inheriting some money, he came to London and painted portraits and historical pictures. He failed, however, to get a place on the walls of the Academy, but was more successful at the Society of Artists, to which he contributed 'Burning of the Albion Mills', and at the British Institution, to which he contributed eight pictures in 1808. His best picture was 'The Death of Chatterton', now in the possession of Sir James Winter Lake, bart., who also owns a portrait of Cranch, which was engraved by John Thomas Smith. He is said to have excelled in 'poker-pictures', and to have been befriended by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Reynolds in his youth had received valuable assistance from a Mr. and Mrs. Cranch of Plympton, Devonshire, who were doubtless relatives of John Cranch. After residing many years at Bath, Cranch died there in his seventieth year in February 1821. He published two works—'On the Economy of Testaments' (1794), and 'Inducements to promote the Fine Arts of Great Britain by exciting Native Genius to independent Effort and original Design' (1811). There is a picture by him in the South Kensington Museum.^{[DNB 1][DNB 2][DNB 3][DNB 4][1]}

References

1. [[Template:Cite DNB|vb=yes|author=Template:DNB LC|title=Cranch, John (DNB00)|work=Dictionary of National Biography|volume=13|pages=0|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Cranch,_John_(DNB00)]]

DNB references

These references are found in the DNB article referred to above.

1. Redgrave's Dictionary of Artists
2. Graves's Dictionary of Artists, 1760–1880
3. Gentlemen's Magazine (1821), xci. 189
4. Catalogues of the British Institution, etc.

External links

Cranch, John (DNB00)|Cranch, John

date=August 2014 date=August 2014 [[Template:Person data |name=Cranch, John |alternative names= |short description=painter |date of birth=1751 |place of birth= |date of death=1821 |place of death= ]] Cranch, John NoCategory:1751 births NoCategory:1821 deaths date=August 2014