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was buried in St. Giles's Churchyard. He left two orphan daughters without pro- vision. His brother, Thomas Antony Devis, followed his profession, and was an occasional exhibitor of portraits between 1776 and 1789.

DE WALSINGHAM, Alan, architect. He was sub-prior of Ely in 1321 and prior in 1341. On his first appointment he is assumed to have made the designs for St. Mary's Chapel in Ely Cathedral, and to have subsequently commenced the choir. On the fall of the tower he erected the ele- gant octagon tower and lantern, a work of great constructive skill. He was originally an ingenious 'fabricator' in gold and silver ; and has been styled 'vir venerabilis et artificiosus frater.

DE WESTON, William, architect. He built St. Stephen's Chapel, Westmin- ster, 4th Edward III.

DE WILDE, Samuel, portrait painter. He was chiefly devoted to dramatic por- traiture, practising both in oil and water- colours. He contributed some small por- traits to the Spring Gardens Exhibitions in 1776-77-78, and first exhibited theatri- cal portraits at the Academy in 1788. He contributed a ' Scene from the Children in the Wood,' 1794; from 'The Village Lawyer,' in 1795 ; and in the following year ? from ' The Way to get Married.' He contmued to exhibit chiefly theatrical por- traits in character up to 1821. There are a number of his portraits in the Garrick Club. There are also some early portraits etched by him, among them John Lord Byron, to which he signed the assumed name of ' Paul.' Many of his works were also exhibited with the works of the de- ceased masters at Suffolk Street in 1833. He died January 19, 1832, aged 84.

DE WINT, Peter, water-colour paint- er. Was descended from an old and wealthy merchant family at Amsterdam, some members of which emigrated to America. His grandfather resided near New York, and his father was sent to the University at Leyden, where he studied as a physician ana took his degree ; but having, contrary to his fathers wishes, married a young English lady of good family, he was disinherited and left to his own resources. He came to England, and settling at Stone, in Staffordshire, practised there as a physician. Here Peter, his fourth son, was born, January 21, 1784. He was intended for his father's profession, but disliking the study of medicine, he was permitted to follow art, his own choice ; and in 1802 was placed under John Raphael Smith, the crayon painter and engraver, where he was a fellow-pupil with Hilton. R.A., with whom he formed a life- long friendship, and whose sister he married. In 1807 he entered the schools

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of the Royal Academy, and was an ex- hibitor at the Academy in the same year, sending three landscapes, and continuing at some intervals an exhibitor up to 1828. In 1810 he first appears an an ' associate exhibitor ' at the Water-Colour Society, his contributions showing the early bent of his art—* A Hay Field ' and * A Corn Field.' In 1812 he was elected a mem- ber. For nearly 40 years he contributed almost exclusively to its exhibitions, and was also distinguished as a teacher, mak- ing many true friendships among those who had been his pupils. He loved to paint direct from nature, and was never so happy as when in the fields. His subjects are principally chosen in the Eastern and Northern counties, and though often tempted to extend nis studies to the Con- tinent, the love of home and home scenery was so strong that, except a short visit to Normandy, he never left England. He formed a style of his own ; his colouring was good and harmonious, his light ana shade broad and simple, nis figures well introduced; but he was an indifferent draftsman, deficient in executive handling. His works have mudh freshness and purity. He objected to the use of body colours, and was of the middle period of water- colour art He died of disease of the heart, June 30. 1849. and was buried in the ground of the Royal Chapel in the Savoy. Good specimens of his art will be found in the galleries of the South Kensington Museum. His views in the South of France and the Rhone were published in 1830.

DE WITTE,, portrait painter,

classed by Walpole as a Scottish painter. He was the painter of the apocryphal Holy- rood portraits, having been engaged in 1684 to paint 'the pictures of the haill kings who have reigned over Scotland from King Fergus, the first king, to King Charles II., to completely finish and per- fect them, and to make them like the originals, which are to be given to him. ,

DIBDIN, Charles, amateur. Born at Southampton 1745. Educated at Winches- ter, and intended for the Church, but seduced by a love of music, he came to London. He played at the Richmond Theatre in 1762, and afterwards in London in ' The Maid of the Mill.' He was well known as the writer and composer of popu- lar sea-songs. He had a taste for painting, and produced some pleasing views of Lake scenery, which were engraved in aqua-tint by John Hill, an artist who afterwards emigrated to America. He is said also to have assisted in scene painting. He wrote above 1,300 songs and 30 dramatic pieces. For the inspiriting influence which his songs had on the navy, he was granted a Government pension, which he lost on a

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