the art school afterwards known as the St. Martin's Lane Academy was established about 1736, in Greyhound Court, Strand, he became manager and treasurer, and continued in that position until the school was absorbed in the Royal Academy. Moser was an original member, and afterwards a director, of the Incorporated Society of Artists, whose seal he designed and executed, and was one of the twenty-one directors whose retirement, in 1767, led to the establishment of the Royal Academy. To Moser's zeal and energy the latter event was largely due. In association with Chambers, West, and Cotes he framed the constitution of the new body, and on 28 Nov. 1768 presented the memorial to the king asking for his patronage. He became a foundation member, and was elected the first keeper, having rooms assigned to him in Somerset House. For this position he was well qualified by his powers as a draughtsman and knowledge of the human figure, while his ability and devotion as a teacher gained for him the strong affection of the pupils. Moser was greatly esteemed in private life, and enjoyed the friendship of Dr. Johnson, Goldsmith, and other literary celebrities of his day. According to Prior, he once greatly mortified Goldsmith by stopping him in the middle of a vivacious harangue with the exclamation, 'Stay, stay! Toctor Shonson's going to say something' (Life of Goldsmith, ii. 459). He died at Somerset House on 24 Jan. 1783, and was buried in the churchyard of St. Paul's, Covent Garden, his funeral being attended by almost all his fellow-academicians and pupils. On the day after Moser's death a notice of him from the pen of Sir Joshua Reynolds was published, in which he was described as the first goldchaser in the kingdom, possessed of a universal knowledge of all branches of painting and sculpture, and 'in every sense the father of the present race of artists.' In early life he had known Hogarth, John Ellys, Rysbrach, Vanderbank, and Roubiliac. He left an only daughter, Mary, who is noticed separately. Moser appears arranging the model in ZofFany's picture at Windsor, 'The Life School of the Royal Academy,' engraved by Earlom. A good portrait of him, accompanied by his daughter, belongs to Lord Ashcombe.
[Edwards's Anecd. of Painting, 1806; J. T. Smith's Nollekens and his Times, 1828; W. Sandby's Hist, of the Royal Academy, 1862; Leslie and Taylor's Life of Sir J. Reynolds, 1865; Boswell's Johnson, ed. G. B. Hill, ii. 258 n.; Chalmers's Biog. Dict.; European Mag 1803, ii. 83; Gent. Mag. 1783, i. 94, 180.]
MOSER, JOSEPH (1748–1819), artist, author, and magistrate, son of Hans Jacob Moser, a Swiss artist, and nephew of George Michael Moser [q. v.], was born in Greek Street, Soho, in June 1748. He was instructed in enamel painting by his uncle, and exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1774 to 1782, and again in 1787, but after his marriage to a daughter of Peter Liege, an eminent surgeon of Holles Street, Cavendish Square, he abandoned the profession, and retired into the country. After an absence of three years Moser returned to London and devoted himself to literary pursuits. He wrote upon the topics of the day in the ‘European Magazine’ and other periodicals, and published many political pamphlets, dramas, and works of fiction, which enjoyed but a temporary popularity. About 1794 he was appointed a deputy-lieutenant for Middlesex and a magistrate for Westminster, sitting first at the Queen's Square court and subsequently at Worship Street. This post, the duties of which he fulfilled with zeal and ability, he held until his death, which took place at Romney Terrace, Westminster, 22 May 1819. Moser's writings included:
- ‘Adventures of Timothy Twig, Esq., in a Series of Poetical Epistles,’ 1794.
- ‘Turkish Tales,’ 1794.
- ‘Anecdotes of Richard Brothers,’ 1795, in which he exposed the pretensions of that enthusiast and his supporter, N. B. Halhed [q. v.]
- ‘Tales and Romances of Ancient and Modern Times,’ 5 vols. 1808.
He also wrote several slight dramatic pieces of little merit; they are enumerated in Baker's ‘Biographia Dramatica.’ Four seem to have been published, but none are in the British Museum Library. A memoir of Moser, with a portrait engraved by W. Ridley from a picture by S. Drummond, appeared in the ‘European Magazine,’ August 1803.
[European Mag. 1803, ii. 83; Gent. Mag. 1819, i. 653; Baker's Biog. Dram. i. 527; Royal Academy Catalogues; Lowndes's Bibl. Man.]
MOSER, MARY (d. 1819), flower painter, was the only child of George Michael Moser [q. v.] She received premiums of five guineas from the Society of Arts in 1758 and 1759, and exhibited with the Society of Artists from 1760 to 1768. Though extremely near-sighted, Miss Moser became celebrated for her pictures of flowers, which were gracefully and harmoniously composed and highly finished. She was much patronised by Queen Charlotte, who employed her to decorate an entire room at Frogmore, paying her more than 900l. for the work, and throughout her life she was on terms of
