Figure 1.--This is a Westall painting dated to the mid-1790s, showing an English peasant boy. A faithful dog was with him so he may have been a shepherd boy although there are no sheep present. Notice the long hair, bloysed sleeves, vest, and knee breeches.

Richard Westall (1765-1836) was an English artist and illustrator. His younger half-brother was William Westall (1781–1850), a well-travelled landscape painter. Richard was apprenticed to a heraldic silver engraver (1779). Richard's interest led him paintuing. Of course art work at the time could only be reproduced through engraving. He did many portraits. He is best known for his portraits of Lord Byron. He was also Queeen Victoria's drawing master. His works include both commissioned portraits as well as depictions of historical events and genre scenes. He was very interested in literature and did also did literary depictions, presumably explaining his portraits of Byron and other literary figures. As an early watercolorist, Westall did work that was sought after by publishers wanting to use the medium to illustrate books by popular poets. He became perhaos the leadung book illudstrator of the age. We notice one of his paintings dated to the mid-1790s, showing an English peasant boy. A faithful dog was with him so he may have been a shepherd boy although there are no sheep present.

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Created: 10:39 PM 4/22/2018
Last updated: 10:39 PM 4/22/2018