Page:Dictionary of Artists of the English School (1878).djvu/329

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commenced in 1817, is by him. From that time to 1838, in which year he sent a de- sign for the Roman Catholic Church pro- Eosed to be erected in St. George's Fields, e was an occasional exhibitor at the Royal Academy. He died at Paris, January 3, 1859, aged 72.

NEWTON, Francis Milnbr, R. A., por- trait painter. Bora in London in 1720. He was pupil of Marcus Tuscher, and a member of the St. Martin's Lane Academy. He acted, in 1755, as secretary to the Artist's Committee, to found an academy ; afterwards he was secretary to the Incor- porated Society of Artists, and on the foun- dation of the Royal Academy was the first secretary. He was a very indifferent artist, but had many sitters, and exhibited his portraits at the Academy from 1769 to 1774. He resigned his office of secretary to the Academy in 1788, when his powers were declining. Soon after a large fortune was left to him by an acquaintance, who dis- approving of the marriage of his only son, disinherited him. To this estate near Taunton he retired, and died there, August 14, 1794. He held for some time the office of ' Muster Master' for England, and generally wore the Windsor uniform.

NEWTON, Gilbert Stuart, R. A., sub- ject painter. Was born at Halifax, Nova Scotia, September 2, 1795, the son of a British officer who was driven from Boston when that citv was occupied by the troops under General Washington. He was the nephew of Gilbert Stuart, who was distin- guished in America as a portrait painter, and after his father's death his mother returned with him, in 1803, to Charleston, near Boston, where he was placed with a merchant and intended for a commercial life, but art prevailed. He had some little art instruction from his uncle, but did not long agree with him, yet was soon spoken of as a lad of much promise. In 1817 he visited Italy, where ne remained some months, and then went to Paris. Here he met with Leslie, afterwards R.A., and came with him to England by Brussels and Ant- werp, arriving in London the same year.

He was admitted a student of the Royal Academy, and though fond of society, was diligent in his studies, and scon made him- self known. In 1821 he exhibited at the British Institution his small head called 'The Forsaken,' with 'Lovers' Quarrels,' and ' The Importunate Author.' He also at this time painted some portraits, but his subject pictures were so eminently suc- cessful that he was led to continue them, and was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy. He contributed, in 1823, ' Don Quixote in his Study ; ' in 1824, ' Monsr. de Pourceaugnac ; ' in 1826, ' Capt. Mac- heath upbraided by Polly and Lucy ; ' and in 1828, the 'Vicar of Wakefield recon- 308

ciling his Wife to Olivia,' a work of touch- ing interest and beauty, and was the same year elected an associate of the Academy. This was succeeded by his finest works. In 1830, ' Yorick and the Grisette,' ' Shylock and Jessica,' ' Abbot Boniface : ' and in 1831. ' Portia and Bassanio,' with 'Cordelia ana the Physician.' These great works secured his election in 1832 as Royal Academician.

The same year he visited America, where he married, and came back to England with his wife within the twelvemonth. During his stay in America he had shown some slight signs of insanity, which unhappily increased after his return. His last exhi- bited work was in 1833, 'Abelard in his Study ; ' but he painted no picture of im- portance after his election as academician. His mind became seriously affected, con- firmed insanity ensued, and he was confined in a private lunatic asylum in Chelsea, where his life was terminated by rapid consumption on August 5, 1835. He was buried in Wimbledon churchyard. His widow and son returned to America shortly after his death, and she soon afterwards married again. Dunlap, his American bio- grapher, says, ' That he congratulated him- self upon being bora a subject of the King of Great Britain, and that on one occasion at New York, at a large dinner-party, he got up and disclaimed being a citizen of the United States.'

His works are marked by a refined sense of colour and a great feeling for female beauty, with a pure sweetness of expression and character, but they are wanting in drawing and executive power. His sub- jects are well chosen; his story, whether quiet humour or pathos predominate, is simple and well tola. His pictures are very few in number, but are always agreeable and full of interest, and the chief of them are well known from their engravings.

NEWTON, James, engraver. Was the son of Edward Newton, an engraver, of whom there is no record, and was born in London in 1743. He practised in London in the latter part of the 18th century chiefly in portrait, but there are landscapes by him after Zuccarelli and Claude, and some sub- jects after Cipriani and Reinagle.

NEWTON, William, architect. Brother to the above James Newton. W r as clerk of the works of Greenwich Hospital, and designed some of the additional buildings. In 1766 he was a member of the Incor- porated Society of Artists, and in 1776 and 1 780 was an exhibitor at the Royal Aca- demy. He published ' The Architecture of Vitruvius,' 1772, and superintended the publication of the third volume of Stuart's ' Antiquities of Athens.' Died at Sidford, Devon, in July, 1790.

NEWTON, Sir William John, Knt., miniature painter. Was born in London