Page:Dictionary of Artists of the English School (1878).djvu/438

This page needs to be proofread.

STO

STR

a church window at Beer Ferrers, he fell, and was found dead on the floor, May 28, 1821. His widow, who published a memoir of him in 1823, afterwards married the clergyman of the church.

STOTHARD, Henry, sculptor. Was the brother of the foregoing, and the third son of Thomas Stothard, R.A. He was a pupil of Flaxman. R. A., and was admitted to the Schools ot the Academy, where he

fained the first medal in the antique school, le suffered an attack of apoplexy, and after being for 20 years unable to follow his profession, obtained admission to the Charter House in 1840, and died in that institution, February 26, 1847, aged 56.

STOTHARD, Alfred Joseph, medal- list. Was the sixth son of Thomas Stoth- ard, R. A. His works are well known. He reproduced Chantrey's bust of Sir Walter Scott, and medallions of Lord Byron and Mr. Canning. Also a good medallion por- trait of George IV. He exhibited portrait medals at the Academy, for many years, commencing in 1825. He died October 6, 1864, aged 71.

STOW, James, engraver. Was born near Maidstone, about 1770, the son of a Kentish labourer. He showed such an early ability for art, that the gentry of the neighbourhood raised a subscription and apprenticed him to Woollett, on whose death he was transferred to William Sharp, with whom, after completing his appren- ticeship, he continued for some time as assistant. He worked in the line manner, and was employed upon some of the best works of his time. For Boydell's * Shake- speare/ between 1795-1801, he engraved eight plates. For Du Roveray's * Homer/ 1806, 12 plates. He also engraved some por- traits, in which he excelled, and some good landscapes, among them Gainsborough's ' Boy at the Stile. But he did not realise his early promise ; hi* exaggerated talent had not aided him, he became irregular in his habits, then embarrassed in his circum- stances, and on his death left a family in indigent circumstances. Among his latter works his plates for * Londina Illustrata/ 1811-23, are very inferior. 'STRANGE, Sir Robert, Knt.. en- graver. Was born at Pomona, Orkney, July 26, 1721, of an ancient Fifeshire family, who had settled there. He was classically educated at Kirkwall and in- tended for the law, but showing some talent for drawing, was apprenticed to Richard Cooper, an engraver, then prac- tising in Edinburgh. He first began busi- ness nimself as an engraver in that city, and held a respectable position there when, on the breaking out of the Civil War, it was occupied by the Young Pretender and his troops in 1745. He joined the Jacobite side, and was appointed engraver to Prince

Charles, a half-length portrait of whom, beaiing the initials * C. P. R. and R. Strange, sculp./ gained him a great re- putation. There exist several portraits in pencil by him at this time of the Prince and his adherents, which, though weakly drawn ? have the character of truthf ul indi- viduality. He is reputed to have fought in the ranks at Culloden, and after the loss of the battle to have escaped to Paris. Here he studied under Le Bas, and in 1751 returned to London, where he established himself, and was recognised as an engraver of great eminence.

On the accession of George III. he was invited to engrave the full-length portraits of the King and his prime minister Lord Bute, by Ramsay, and gave great offence, which probably his previous career in- creased, by refusing this commission ; and he thought it well to carry out at once a wish he had long entertained, of visiting Italy. Here he studied with great diligence at the principal cities, chiefly at Rome and Bologna, and produced some of his finest works. He also spent several years in Paris, where, as in Italy, his works were held in very high estimation. He engraved some of the finest pictures by Guido, Do- menichino, Titian, Raphael, Correggio. Van- dyck, and other masters, and was elected member of the Academies of Rome, Florence, Bologna, Parma, and Paris. In several of the highest qualities of his art he is un- surpassed. His tender flowing line gives a peculiar delicacy and transparency to his flesh, and his works are excellent in power, drawing, and character — qualities which he had attained by his practice of making the most careful studies in red chalk.

He was a member of the Incorporated Society of Artists, 1766. He resented the laws of the Royal Academy, which did not allow the election of engravers, thought himself excluded by petty intrigues, and was a bitter opponent of that body. In 1775 he published an attack upon them, under the title of 'An Enquiry into the Rise and Progress of the Royal Academy of Arts at London/ to which he prefixed a letter, complaining that Lord Bute had shown his resentment by engaging an emissary to learn the worts of the great masters which he intended to engrave in Italy, and then employing Bartolozzi to engrave these very pictures from drawings dishonourably obtained in the King's name. It does not appear when he returned to London, but he did not regain the Court favour till 1787, when he engraved, after *^ t~ West, the apotheosis of the tljififijchildren of the King, who died in their infancy, and in the same year received the honour of knighthood. He had been long in a de- clining state of health, and died at his house in Great Queen Street, Lincoln's

417

    • Jt5tA+*3*L ' -X '• 3- &OL€*U*r K bJ£j£ej