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But he desired to be employed on some more ambitious work ; and in 1810 made a successful engraving, the size of the picture, of Wilkie's * Jew's Harp/ This was the foundation of his reputation, and was followed by the same painter's ' Blind Fiddler/ which was highly popular ; and encouraged by the notice he had gained, he visited Paris at the peace of 1815, and for nearly five months was a constant student in the Louvre. Soon after he engraved for Foster's 'British Gallery/ Metzu's 4 Letter Writer/ and RembranaVs * Saluta- tion of the Virgin.' Anxious to support the school of line engraving, he joined the Associated Engravers, and executed for the Association Rembranat's * Jew,' * Nativity/ and ' Crucifixion.' He also engraved, after Atkinson, ' The Battle of Waterloo/ and the same subject after Devis. His best works were, however, after his friend Wilkie ; who was fortunate in his clever renderings of ' The Reading of the Will/
- The Rabbit on the Wall/ « Chelsea Pen-
sioners reading the Gazette of the Battle of Waterloo/ ' The Letter of Introduction/ ' The Death of Tippoo Saib, ' * The Village School' — in which the character and humour of the painter were admirably maintained. Yet his work was defective in beauty of line ; had an appearance of blackness ; was heavy ; wanting in sparkle and brilliance.
His repute does not, however, rest alone on his engraving ; he was a painter and a writer on art. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy, in 1808, 'The Draught Players ; ' in 1818, * The Humorous Bal- lad ;' in 1823, ' A Windy Day ; ' and on some few occasions at the British Institu- tion, sending there in 1837 his * Greenwich Hospital and Naval Heroes/ painted on a commission from the Duke of Wellington as a companion for Wilkie's i Chelsea Pen- sioners ' — a difficult task, which resulted in his best picture. The above work he en- graved, and also, from his own paintings,
- Christmas Eve/ 1815 ; ' The Valentine/
1820. Hs was a iellow of the Royal Society. His writings on art are numerous* and he will probably be remembered by his criti- cisms and opinions rather than his art. He published, in 1827, ' A Practical Treat- ise on Painting, in Three Parts : Composi- tion, Chiaroscuro, and Colouring ; ' in 1837,
- An Essay on the Education of the
Eye, with reference to Painting ; ' in 1848, ' Practical Essays on various Branches of the Fine Arts, and an Enquiry into the Practice and Principles of Sir David Wilkie, R.A. ; ' in 1849, * Landscape Paint- ing in Oil-Colours Explained ' and * Rem- brandt and his Works ; ' in 1850. * Practi- cal Hints on Portrait Painting ; ' in 1852, 'Turner and his Works, illustrated by Examples ; ' and in 1854, * The Progress of
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a Painter in the 19th Century.' In 1860 he was granted a pension on the Civil List, and retired to Stoke Newington, where he passed the last six years of his life, in straitened circumstances, and died on April 29, 1868, aged 84.
BURNET, James M., landscape paint- er. Brother to the above. He was born at Musselburgh 1788. He early showed a taste for art, and was placed under a wood carver, studying also at the Trustees' Aca- demy ; but was soon tempted to art, and sending some specimens of his drawings to his brother, then in London, without wait- ing for a reply he started for the great metropolis in 1810, determined to devote himself to art. Charmed with Wilkie's 1 Blind Fiddler/ which he found his brother then engraving, he was led by it to the study of the Dutch masters, and the art which he afterwards followed. Taking up his residence at Chelsea, he haunted the neighbouring pasture-lands at Battersea ana Fulham, devoting himself to the study of rural nature. In 1812 he first appears as an exhibitor at the Royal Academy of
- Evening: Cattle returning Home ; in
1813 he sent ' Mid-day' and « The Return in the Evening;' in 1814, 'Early Morn- ing' and 'The Ploughman returning Home ;' in 1816, two works of the same class, his last contributions. Of weak health, he, was attacked with consumption, and removing for purer air to Lea, in Kent, died there July 27, 181 6, and was buried in the adjacent churchyard at Lewisham. He was of great promise ; he had a true feeling for the rural and picturesque ; his pictures were rich and brilliant in colour, luminous and powerful in effect.
BURNEY, Edward Francis, portrait and subject painter. He was born near Worcester, of a good family, in September 1760. Sent to London to study m 1776. he was admitted to the schools of the Royal Academy, and gained the friendship of Sir Joshua Reynolds. He first appears as an exhibitor at the Academy in 1780, con- tributing three sketches from 'Evelina,' and from that time exhibited portraits, with occasionally a domestic subject ; but, of retired habits, he did not continue por- traiture, and after 1793, when he sent some illustrations for i Telemachus/ he ceased to exhibit. He made, in conjunction with Cat ton, jun., some designs for Gay's ' Fables/ ana devoting himself to book illustration he became popular, and his designs were inlaid in work-boxes and other feminine trifles. His designs were clever and imaginative, made with the pen. and slightly tinted. He painted a good half-length portrait of his relative, Madame d'Arblay. which is engraved as a frontis- piece to her works. He continued till late in life to visit the schools of the Academy.
