William Dyce
British, 1806 - 1864
IMAGE GALLERY
6 pictures
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BIOGRAPHY
Scottish painter and decorator. Son of an Aberdeen doctor, he studied art against his father's will. Sir Thomas Lawrence was so impressed with his talent that he persuaded Dyce to take up painting professionally. He made several trips to Rome, where he was deeply impressed with the aims and ideals of the Nazarenes Overbeck and Cornelius, and also by Italian Renaissance painting. These influences persisted throughout his career. He painted portraits and religious subjects, and several fresco cycles in the House of Lords, Lambeth Palace, Buckingham Palace, Osborne House, and several churches. He was one of the few artists to sympathise with the Pre-Raphaelites. His own works, such as 'Pegwell Bay', and 'Titian's first Essay in Colour' show PRB influences in the realistic detail and bright colours. The latter picture drew praise from Ruskin in 1857 - "Well done, Mr. Dyce! and many times well done!". As he was kept busy by public duties in Government Schools, he did not exhibit a great many pictures. Most were exhibited at the Royal Academy and the Royal Scottish Academy, and some at the British Institution. His style is highly individual, a blend of Nazarene and Pre-Raphaelite ideals, and is always characterised by an innate religious feeling. His studio sale was held at Christie's on May 5, 1865.
Biographical source: 'The Dictionary of Victorian Painters', Christopher Wood, Antique Collectors' Club, 1971.
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