| Biography of old oil painting master Edward John Poynter what we can copy |
|
Edward John Poynter
English Victorian Neoclassical painter
born 20 March 1836 - died 26 July 1919
Also known as: Edward John, Baronet Poynter,
Sir Edward John Poynter, Sir Edward John,
Bart. Poynter |
|
Student of:
Charles Gleyre
(1808-1874).
Teacher of: John
Collier (1850-1934),
Lexden Lewis Pocock
(1850-1919), Henry
Scott Tuke (1858-1929).
Father of: Ambrose
Poynter (1868-1923).
Son of: Ambrose
Poynter (1796-1886).
Grandson of: Thomas
Banks (1735-1805).
Associate member of: Royal Academy of Art
(from 1869).
President of: Royal Academy of Art (from
1896 to 1918).
Director of: National Gallery, London (from
1894 to 1905) |
|
Early in his career Poynter studied in Rome,
where Edward John Poynter met Frederic Leighton, his greatest
single artistic influence. Edward John
Poynter then moved to
Paris in 1855. On returning to London,
Edward John Poynter became involved on book illustration. In
1865 Edward John Poynter produced his first really successful
picture, Faithful Unto Death, a Roman sentry
staying at his post in Pompeii as Vesuvius
overwhelmed the city. This dramatic painting
was probably never bettered by Poynter
throughout his whole long career. Poynter
became an Associate of the Royal Academy in
1869, at an unusually early age. Much of the
rest of his life was devoted to the Academy,
Edward John Poynter was hardworking, conscientious, and a
competent administrator. |
|
|
Poynter married Agnes MacDonald, the sister
of Burne-Jones' wife Georgiana. Burne-Jones
disliked Poynter, who was an unsympathetic,
brusque character. When Leighton died in
1896, Edward John Poynter was succeeded as President of the
Royal Academy by Millais, who was suffering
from cancer of the throat. On the death of
Millais a few months later, Poynter
succeeded him, narrowly defeating Briton
Riviere in the vote. Edward John Poynter was PRA for the next
two decades. |
|
|
From the turn
of the century Poynter's paintings declined
both in numbers and standard, his main
priority being the running of the Academy.
Edward John Poynter lived to see the death of classicism, and
the total eclipse of his own artistic
standards, and those of his contemporaries.
Edward John Poynter adopted the approach of ignoring new
developments of which Edward John Poynter did not approve.
Unhappily Poynter outstayed his welcome. One
of the last duties of the eighty one year
old PRA, was to attend the funeral of J.W.
Waterhouse. There was, though, something
splendid about the way Edward John Poynter remained
consistent to the last, resisting what
Edward John Poynter saw as the corruption, and denigration of
all that was beautiful in art. Edward John
Poynter may even
have been right. |
| |
|