Page:Dictionary of Artists of the English School (1878).djvu/159

 EDR

in his 40th year, on September 21, 1834. He painted at Rome, ' Kissing the Chains of St. Peter.' His last work was * The White Mouse.'

EDRIDGE, Henry, A.R. A., miniature painter. He was born at Paddington in August 1769, the son of a tradesman in St. James's, Westminster, who died young, leaving a widow and five children with scant provision. He showed an early at- tachment to art ; and at the age of 14 became the pupil of William Pether, the mezzo-tint engraver and landscape painter. Two years after the expiration of nis ap- prenticeship he was admitted a student of the Royal Academy, and in 1786 gained the silver medal, and with it the nonce of Sir Joshua Reynolds, who permitted him to make miniature copies from his works. From this time he laid aside engraving, and studying miniature successfully, estab- lished himself as a portrait painter, and marrying, settled m Dufour's Place, Golden Square. He first exhibited at the Academy, in 1786, ' The Weary Traveller/ a miniature ; in 1803, portraits of the King and the Queen. His earlist works were on ivory, afterwards on paper drawn with black-lead or Indian ink. Then later he abandoned this method, and drawing the figure in a slight, spirited manner, finished the face of his sitter elaborately in water- colour. He had a great feeling for land- scape art, which he acquired from a study of Hearne, whom he surpassed in colour and power. In 1817, and again in 1819, he visited France and sketched many picturesque subjects in Paris and the Norman cities. In 1820 he exhibited some of these drawings at the Royal Academy, and was elected an associate the same year. There are by him two small land- scapes in oil He lost his daughter when in ner 17th year, and soon after his remaining child, a boy of the same age. His constitution gave way under this last blow ; he died in Margaret Street, Caven- dish Square, where he had resided during the previous 20 years, on April 23. 1821, and was buried by his friend Br. Monro, in Bushey Churchyard, t EDWARDS, Edwabiv &.&.&., portrait and subject painter. Was the son of a chairmaker and carver, and born in Castle Street, Leicester Square, March 7, 1738. He had some ability for drawing, and in 1764-65 received premiums at the Society of Arts. He became a student in the Duke of Richmond's Gallery and the St. Martin's Lane Academy, and a member of the In- corporated Society of Artists. For some time he taught drawing in an evening school to support himself and his widowed mother, with a brother and sister. He was successful in gaining three of the Society of Art's premiums, and was employed by 138

EDW

Alderman Boydell in making drawings for his publication of engravings from the old masters. In 1770 he resigned his member- ship with the Incorporated Society, and first exhibited at the Academy, in 1771, 'The Angel appearing to Haear and Ishmael ; ' in 1773, ' Bacchus and Ariadne/ followed by portraits, landscape and Shake- speare subjects, continuing to exhibit to the year of his death. In 1773 he was elected an associate of the Royal Academy, and in 1788 was appointed teacher of perspective. In 1775 he managed to visit Italy, it is said with the assistance of Mr. Udney, by whom he had been employed, and on his return settled down in the practice of his profession. He painted a suoject from the 4 Two Gentlemen of Verona.' for the Shake- speare Gallery, but his works were not of a cnaracter to attract notice, and such success as he had was due to persevering labour rather than to genius. He possessed some knowledge of architecture, and was a toler- able musician and violin player. He pub- lished ' A Treatise on Perspective ' in 1803, and ' Anecdotes of Painters,' a sort of sup*

Element to Walpole's work, by which alone e is now remembered ; also, in 1792, a series of 52 etchings on various subjects. Weakly in frame and in constitution, he died December 10, 1806, and was buried in old St PancrWs Churchyard. A memoir of him is prefixed to his ' Anecdotes of Painters,' published after his death. at Stratford, Essex, 1694. Was apprenticed to a tradesman in London, but having a distaste for his business, he managed to get to Holland in 1716, and to improve a feeling for art. Two years after he made a voyage to Norway, and explored the rocks and precipices, the haunts of numerous birds m that arid region. He passed through Paris on his return to London, and now. with the materials he had collected, applied himself to the study of natural history, and made coloured drawings of birds and ani- mals. In furtherance of this study he went, in 1731, to Holland and Brabant. His abilities led to his appointment, in 1733, as librarian to the College of Physi- cians, and he became, by means of the valuable collections placed in his charge, one of the most eminent ornithologists of his day. His drawings give him a claim to a place in this work: of these, above 900 were sold to Lord Bute, about 1759, for 3002. In 1764 he completed a history of birds and animals ; and then in his 70th year, his sight failing, he retired to Plais- tow, in his native county, and died there July 23, 1773, in his 80th year.
 * EDWARDS, George, dra/te»wm. Born

EDWARDS, Sydenham, draftsman. Born about 1768. He was an accurate botanical and animal draftsman, his works highly finished. He exhibited at the Aca-