Page:Dictionary of Artists of the English School (1878).djvu/298

 LOW

Johnson's protection, and whom therefore he recommends to all persons he thinks can afford to sit for their pictures.' Among these he made Mr. Seward, and then applied to Mr. Crutchley, who was also obliged to go to the painter's. He says, ' I found him in such a condition ! A room all dirt and filth, brats squalling and wrang- ling, up two pair of stairs, ana a closet of which the door was open, that Seward well said was Pandora's box. It was the repository of *all the nastiness and stench

and filth and food and drink, and Oh !

it was too bad to be borne ! And " Oh ! " says I to Mr. Lowe, " I beg your pardon for running away, but I have just recol- lected another engagement ; " so I poked three guineas in his hand and told him I would come again another day, and ran away with all my might.' He was living, in 1778, in Hedge Lane, now Whitcombe Street, and died in an obscure lodging in Westminster, September 1793. He was the reputed writer of the * Ear-Wig,' an abusive art periodical, published in 1787.

LOWRY, STRiCKLAND,j90rtfra# painter. Was born at Whitehaven, and about 1768 went to Ireland, where ne practised and then returned to his native town, where he lived by painting portraits. He also practised in various parts of Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire. He had some local repute, and his portraits were simple and broadly treated. There are 13 views of churches engraved by him for a ' History of Shrewsbury,' published 1779. ' LOWRY, Wilson, engraver. Born January 24, 1762, at Whitehaven. Son of the above, when a child was taken by his parents to Ireland, and some years later returned with them. While yet a boy he removed to Worcester, found some employ- ment as a house painter, and commenced engraving. When 17 he came to London, and was admitted to the schools of the Royal Academy. Persevering, but poor, he worked hard. His early plates do not bear his name. He engraved most of the machinery for the illustrations to Rees's 4 Encyclopaedia,' Crabbe's ' Technological Dictionary,' and the ' Philosophical Maga- zine.' His art was purely mechanical, but his great scientific attainments eminently fitted him for this class of work. He was a good mathematical draftsman, had a knowledge of anatomy, surgery, mineral- ogy, and geology, and was learned in the qualities and values of precious stones. About 1790 he invented his celebrated rul- ing machine, and etched with the diamond and other hard stones, instead of the steel point, which gave an unexampled beauty to his ruling. Some of his best specimens as an architectural engraver will be found in the illustrations of Murphy's ' Batalha,' Nicholson's ' Architecture/ and Gandon's

er,

LUC

mons/ He died in London, June 22 ? 1824, after a lingering illness, during which he was assisted by the Artists' Fund. His son, Joseph Lowry, was brought up to his profession.
 * Designs for the Dublin House of Com-

LOWRY, Robert, engraver. See Laurie, Robert.

LUARD. John Dalbiao, subject paint- Was Dorn in Lincolnshire in 1830, the son of an officer in the army, and was educated at the Royal Military School, Sandhurst He obtained a commission in the 82nd Foot, and served five years in the regiment. Then led by a love of art, he left the army to study painting as a pro- fession, was for a time a pupil of Phillip, R.A., and exhibited his first picture at the Academy in 1855. Later in the same year he joined his brothes, who was serving in the Crimea, returning to England in Feb- ruary 1856. In 1857 he exhibited a Cri- mean subject, 'The Welcome Arrival;' the following year, 'Nearing Home' and ' The Girl I left behind Me ; ' and in 1859 commenced another work, but his health failed. He tried a voyage to America and back, which had only a temporary effect, and retiring to the house of a relative near Salisbury, died there in August 1860, leav- ing much promise of a reputation in art.

LUC AN, Margaret, Countess of, amateur. Was well known as a clever copyist of the early miniature painters — Hoskins, the Olivers, and Samuel Cooper. She also painted some good original minia- tures, low in colour, with landscape back- grounds well introduced. She undertook the illustration of Shakespeare's historical plays by means of portraits, tombs, land- scapes, heraldic devices, flowers, birds, and insects. This work, in five vols., which occupied her 16 years, is preserved in the library at Althorp. Sne died in 1815, aged 66. Walpole, who flattered her, is thus addressed Dy Peter Pindar —

' Do not to Lady Lucan pay such court, Her wisdom will not surely thank thee

fort; Ah ! don't endeavour thus to dupe her, By s weaiing that she equals Cooper.'

LUCAS, John, portrait painter. Born in London, July 4, 1807. He was a pupil of S. W. Reynolds and began life as a mezzo-tint engraver ; but he early turned to the practice of painting, and met with encouragement as a portrait painter. In 1828 he first exhibited at the Royal Aca- demy ? and from that time was a constant contributor. Several ladies of distinction were among his sitters, also the Prince Consort and the Duke of Wellington. About sixty of his portraits have been engraved. He died at St. John's Wood, April 30, 1874. His pictures and sketches

277