Page:Dictionary of Artists of the English School (1878).djvu/312

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life, he received a pension from the civil list. He died in August 1874, and was buried in the St. Pancras Cemetery at Finchley.

MEADOWS, Robert Mitchell, en- graver. Practised his art chiefly in the latter half of the 18th century, engraving in the stipple manner, and attained much distinction in his profession. He engraved for BoydelFs * Shakespeare Gallery/ and after Westall, Hamilton, and others. He published, in 1809, three lectures on En- graving, and died some time before 1812. • MEDINA, Sir John Baptist, Knt., portrait painter. Was the son of a cap- tain in the Spanish service, and born in 1660, at Brussels, where he studied paint- He married young, and came to

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England in 1686. After practising portrait painting in London for several years, he was induced to visit Edinburgh, where he settled, and painted the portraits of many of the Scotch nobility and of the professors in Surgeons' Hall, Edinburgh. He occa- sionally painted history, and he designed the illustrations for an edition of Milton's 'Paradise Lost,' folio, 1688. There are also some landscapes by him, but he found his best encouragement in portraiture. His manner was firm and bold, better suited to his male than his female sitters ; the ex- pression and character good. He worked with great facility and industry. He was knighted by the Lord High Commissioner to the Scotch Parliament. He died in Edinburgh in 171 1 ? and was buried at Grey- friars. Some of his portraits are engraved.

MEDINA, John, portrait j>ainter. Grandson of the foregoing. Practised his artJn Edinburgh, where he is supposed to have been born, and for a time in London, where he exhibited in 1772 and 1773. Little is known of his works, but he was much employed as a copyist and a picture cleaner. He repaired the collection at Holyrood Palace, and made many copies of a valued portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots. He died at Edinburgh, in his 76th year, September 27, 1796.

MEDLAND, Thomas, engraver. Prac- tised in the latter half of the 18th century, and excelled in the delicate truth and finish of his landscape engravings. He exhibited some topographical views* of the Metropolis, in water-colours, in 1777-78-79, and was an occasional exhibitor for many years. He engraved several plates in conjunction with William Byrne — * Mount Etna/ in 1788 ; ' Views in Cumberland and West- moreland,' published in 1789 : ' Cities and Castles of England/ 1791. He engraved with much spirit Stothard's illustrations to ' Robinson Crusoe/ which were afterwards engraved by Heath ; the illustrations to Barrow's ' Embassy of Lord Macartney to China/ 1804 ; two of Lord Howe's sea-

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fkfhts, after R. Cleveley ; 45 plates to Sir W. Gell's * Topography of Troy.' About 1808 he appears to have been appointed an art teacher at the East India College, Hertford, and went to live in that neigh- bourhood, and from thence sent his works occasionally to the Academy Exhibitions up to 1822.

MEDLEY, Samuel, portrait and- ani- mal painter. He was born about 1748, and commenced art by attempts at histo- rical painting. He exhibited * The Last Supper ' at the Academy in 1792, followed by some historical and classical subjects. About 1797 he tried portraiture, and settled in the practice of a portrait and animal painter, in which he became known as a clever artist. He exhibited at the Academy, with some intermission, up to 1805. A good group of portraits by him, ' The Medi- cal Society of London ' was em

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1801 by Bran white (see this fife for a curious account of the plate). He was living in 1853. Being tired of his profession he went on to the Stock Exchange, where he made a comfortable independence, and was one of the founders of University College, London. He was the maternal grandfather of Sir H. Thompson, the celebrated surgeon.

• MEE, Mrs. Anne, miniatwe painter. She was the eldest daughter of John Fold- sone, an artist, who died young. She received a good education in a well-known school kept by a French lady, in Queen's Square, Westminster, and was deemed clever as a musician, poetess, and painter. She must have commenced practice very early as a miniature painter, to assist in the wants of the family, and had formed a large and influential connection. Miss Berry, in her memoirs, says of her, ' She has a mother and eight brothers and sisters to support/ and intimates that it is dangerous to pay for her portraits before they are finished. She began an engraved work,

Prince of Wales, afterwards George IV., gave her many commissions, and a number of miniatures she painted for him are in the royal collection at Windsor. She married a man who pretended to family and fortune, and had neither. Her name first appears in the Academy catalogues in 1815, and then as Mrs. Mee. From that year she continued an occasional exhibitor up to 1836, about which time she retired from
 * Beauties of the time of George III.' The

Sractice. She died at a very advanced age, lay 28, 1851.

MEEN, Maboabet, flower painter. She practised in water-colours, and first appears as the exhibitor of a small land- scape at the Royal Academy in 1775, and from that year to 1785 was a contributor of flowers and groups of flowers. She painted with much ability in a large, vigor- ous manner. 2 291