“The Army and Navy”

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Whitehall

John Prescott Knight, portrait painter, was born in Stafford, son of the comedian Edward Knight. He initially worked as junior clerk for a West India merchant in London before studying drawing with Henry Sass and colouring with George Clint. In 1823, he entered the Royal Academy Schools. He painted several important figures of the Victorian age as well as large group portraits. Many of his works were engraved. In 1831, he married genre painter Clarissa Isabella Hague. He became a member of the Royal Academy in 1844 and later Professor of Perspective at the Academy Schools and Secretary of the Academy. In 1878, he was made a chevalier of the Légion d'honneur. Knight died in London aged 78 and was buried in Kensal Green cemetery.
Samuel William Reynolds was a painter and engraver. Despite publishing his first prints in the mid-1790s, he found himself in debt by 1800 and came to rely upon the financial help of Samuel Whitbread MP. It was under Whitbread’s patronage that Reynolds was able to broaden his interests to include painting, architecture and landscape design. He exhibited paintings at the Royal Academy and British Institution and was also a collector; owning a group of drawings by Thomas Girtin. In 1809 he visited France for the first time and he went on to exhibit engravings at the Paris Salon in 1810 and 1812. Reynolds also worked in Paris on occasion, where he found a market for his paintings of landscapes and cottage scenes.

People

Arthur, 1st Duke of Wellington Wellesley (1769 - 1852), Horatio, Viscount Nelson Nelson (1758 - 1805)

Places

Subjects

quill, ink pot/ink stand, book, map (as Subject), male portrait, 19th century costume, military uniform, wellington boots, cloak, clock, Viscount, Duke, admiral, sword, field marshal, government building, fireplace, window, curtain, chair, state interior

Materials & Techniques

engraving, mezzotint

Artist

John Prescott Knight (1803 - 1881)
Samuel William Reynolds (1773 - 1835)

Title

“The Army and Navy”

Date

Medium

Mezzotint and engraving

Dimensions

height: 78.00 cm, width: 58.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Grosvenor Prints, December 1993

GAC number

16815