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Howe on board the "Queen Charlotte," 1794/ which the directors purchased for 600 guineas, and presented to Greenwich Hospital, where it finds an appropriate place. He was elected an associate of the feoyal Academy in 1825, and a full mem- ber in 1832 ; and from this time devoted himself chiefly to portraiture, not from his own free choice, but as more remunerative of his talents. His subject pictures are well constructed, the action of his figures original, and his story well told ; but his colour is not agreeable, and his flesh-tints hot. He painted some fine portraits, among them 'Tne Earl of Eldon receiving the Degree of D.C.L. at Oxford, on the Instal- lation of the Duke of Wellington.' He died in Bruton Street, January 18, 1844, in his 51st year. His wife had died six or seven years previously, and he left two orphan children.
BRIGHT, Henry, water-colour painter. Was born at Saxmundham in 1814, and though he early showed a talent for art, was apprenticed to a chemist and druggist, and afterwards became dispenser to the Norwich Hospital. Here a self-taught student from nature, he found time to im- prove himself in art, and to gain a place on the walls of the London exhibitions. In 1839, he was elected a member of the Insti- tute of Painters in Water-Golours, and in this year, in 1841, and 1844, contributed to its exhibitions. He then seceded from the Institution, and from that time to 1850, was an exhibitor of landscapes in oil to the Royal Academy Exhibitions. Paint- ing the passing effects of nature, his art was bold and vigorous, his skies full of feeling and beauty. After a career of above 20 years in the Metropolis, his health fail- ing, he retired to Ipswich, where he died September 21, 1873. He nas been classed as of the Norwich School.
BRIGHTWELL, Miss Cecilia Luoy, amateur. She lived in Norwich, and ex- celled in her etchings. These comprised copies from the old masters, the figure spiritedly drawn, and from nature, land- scape, and marine subjects. She is more widely known by her writings. She died at Norwich, April 17, 1876.
BRIOT, Nicholas, medallist. Native of Lorraine. Was employed in the French mint, and invented a process of coining by the press, instead of hammering. Foiled in his endeavours to introduce nis inven- tion in France ? he came to England, pro- bably in the reign of James I. Gaining the notice of Charles I., he was employed to engrave a medal of him in 1628, and was engaged to work for both the English and Scotch mints, holding the office of graver from the 3rd to the 8th Charles I. In 1631 a commission was issued to report upon his invention for coining. He executed 54
the coronation medal of Charles I„ when inaugurated at Edinburgh in 1633, which was the first medal that bore a legend en- graved on the edge. It is said that he was removed from the Mint, and made a Poor Knight of Windsor ; but some authorities state that he returned to France about 1642. Thomas Simon was his pupil.
BRISTOWE, Edmund, still life and subject painter. Was born in 1787. He. was well known in the neighbourhood of Windsor, and there are some pictures by him in the Royal Collection there. They are of little merit. He died at Eton, February 12, 1876, at the age of 89.
BRITTON, John, F.S.A., architectural draftsman. Was born in 1771, at Kings- ton St. Michael, Wilts, where his father kept a general shop. In 1787 he came up to London, and was employed for many years as cellannan at a tavern, and then by a hop-factor. Fond of reading and actively intelligent, he made acquaintance with men engaged in the book-trade and literary pursuits, and then found employ- ment m a printing-office, where he became afterwards connected with Mr. Brayley in some of his publications. In 1799 he took an engagement, at three guineas a week, to write, recite, and sing at a theatre in Panton Street, Havmarket, and about the same time found his true vocation as a draftsman, and exhibited some drawings of architectural antiquities at the Royal Academy in 1799, 1800. and 1801. He then undertook with Mr. Brayley 'The Beauties of Wiltshire ' and ' The Beauties of England and Wales.' These were fol- lowed by works of much learning on the cathedrals of Norwich, Winchester, York, Litchfield, Oxford, Canterbury, Wells, and Exeter. He began, in 1802, a series of articles on British topography for Rees's ' Encyclopaedia.' In 1805 he commenced his ' Architectural Antiquities of Great Britain;' in 1814, his * Cathedral Antiqui- ties of England;' in 1825, in conjunction with Augustus Pugin, ' The Architectural Antiquities of Normandy;' in 1829, a ' Dictionary of Architecture and Archaeo- logy of the Middle Ages. ' These were his chief works. From 1845 he was engaged upon his autobiography, which he had' nearly completed, when he died in London, January 1, 1857.
BROCAS, Henry, landscape painter. He was born in Dublin, and practised there. He painted chiefly m water-colours, and drew well in chalk. There are some engravings by him. He was appointed teacher of landscape in the Dublin Society's School in 1801. He died in 1838, aged 72, and was succeeded in his office by nis son Henry.
BROCAS, Samuel F., landscape paint- er. Son of the above. He practised
