Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Corbould, Richard
CORBOULD, RICHARD (1757–1831), painter, born in London 18 April 1757, possessed talents of a very versatile kind, which he exercised in nearly every department of his art. He painted, both in oils and water-colours, portraits, landscapes, still life, and history, miniatures on enamel and ivory, also on porcelain, and occasionally etched. He was very clever at imitating the style of the old masters, and yet could show an originality of his own. He first appears as an exhibitor in 1776 at the Free Society of Artists, to which he sent ‘The Morning,’ after Claude Lorraine, a stained drawing, ‘A Bunch of Grapes,’ and another landscape. In 1777 he sent a miniature to the exhibition of the Royal Academy, and continued to exhibit there numerous pictures in varied styles up to 1811. Among these may be noticed: ‘Cottagers gathering Sticks’ (1793); four pictures representing ‘The Seasons’ (1794); ‘The Fisherman's Departure’ and ‘Return’ (1800); ‘The Millennial Age; Isaiah xi. 6, 8’ (1801), a picture very much admired at the time; ‘Eve caressing the Flock’ (1802); ‘Hero and Leander’ (1803); ‘Hannibal on his passage over the Alps, pointing out to his soldiers the fertile plains of Italy’ (1808); ‘Contemplation’ (1811). He last appears as an exhibitor in 1817 at the British Institution. It is, however, as a designer of illustrations for books that Corbould is most widely known. He was largely employed by publishers, and his illustrations, engraved by the best artists, show great taste, and occupy one of the highest places in that department of art. We may instance those that he contributed to Cooke's pocket editions of ‘English Classics’ (published 1795–1800), especially those for Richardson's ‘Pamela.’ Corbould resided for some years in John Street, Tottenham Court Road, but later in life removed to the north of London. He died at Highgate 26 July 1831, aged 74, and was buried in the churchyard of St. Andrew's, Holborn, Gray's Inn Road. He left a family of whom two sons, Henry [q. v.] and George Corbould, also distinguished themselves as painters.
[Redgrave's Dict. of Artists; Graves's Dict. of Artists (1760–1880); Gent. Mag. (1831), ci. 2; Catalogues of Royal Academy, British Institution, &c.]