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churches in Liverpool, and the Roman Catholic College of St. Cuthhert, Ushaw. He died in London after a brief illness, June 5, 1875, in his 40th year.

PURCELL, Richard, mezzo-tint en- graver. He was born in Ireland about 1736, and studied in Dublin under John Brooks. He for a while practised there, engraving 'Jenny Cameron/ a mere copy of Latham's 1 Peg Woffington/ the * Countess of Berke- ley/ * William at the Siege of Namur/ after Wyck, which is, in fact, a copy after Faber's print; after Rembrandt, 'The Jewish Bride.' He afterwards came to London and engraved the works of Rey- nolds, Cotes, Ramsay, Frye, and some of the most eminent painters of the time. He was depraved in habit and licentious in manner, and had the character of being one of the wags of the day, and, probably for concealment, adopted the signature, ' C. Corbutt ' — but neither the cause nor the time of this change of name are known. He died in London, in a state of great dis- tress, about the year 1765. His engraving showed much ability, but was weak in drawing.

PYE, Charles, engraver. Born in 1777. He practised at the beginning of the 19th century. There are some plates by him in illustration of Dibdin's ' Biblio- graphical, Antiquarian, and Picturesque Tour ' 1829.

• PYE, John, engraver. Was born at Birmingham, April 22, 1782. He early shewed a talent for drawing, and acquired a good deal of self-taught skill. When about eighteen he left Birmingham,^ and obtained paid employment under James Heath in London, to whom he apprenticed himself, and worked for him a considerable time. Devoted chiefly to landscape en- graving, he engraved about 1811 * Pope's Villa/ after Turner, R.A., the figures by his master. This work gained Trim much notice, especially from the great landscape painter, who employed him to engrave his 'Temple of Jupiter in Egina.' He was again successful, and from this time his progress was rapid, and his reputation established. He mastered in copper all the gradations by which space is expressed, and colour suggested. He was one of the founders of the Artists' ' Fund/ and was among the foremost opponents of the Constitution and Privileges of the Royal Academy. He lived for a considerable time in Paris, and was elected a correspond- ing member of the French Institute, which awarded him a medal of honour. He was also hon. member of the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburgh. Some of his best works are after Turner, but amon" his other plates should be mentioned ' The Annunciation/ after Claude, a * Classi- cal Landscape/ after Gasper Poussin, 344

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' Holy Family/ after Michael Angelo, and after Barrett, 'Evening.' He died in London, February 6, 1874, in his 92nd year. He wrote ' The Patronage of British Art/ an historical sketch, 1845, a work full of information connected with artists and the art institutions of his country.

PYE, John, engraver. Was born in 1745. He was a pupil of Major, and gained a premium at the Society of Arts in 1758. Commencing in 1780, he was for nine years a constant exhibitor of views in water-colour in the Royal Academy. As an engraver he was employed by Alderman Boydell, and his landscape plates were much esteemed. He worked with the needle, and both in the line and dot manner. He en- graved a ' Holy Family/ after Polemberg, ' Tobit and the Angel/ after Karl du Jardin, and after Claude, Watteau, Wootton, Pynaker, and others.

PYE, Thomas, historical painter. He studied in Dublin under the elder West, and was at Rome in 1794 pursuing his studies from the old masters, but no further notice of him can be obtained.

PYLE, Robert, portrait painter. He practised in London early in the last half of the 18th century, and in 1763 was a member of the Free Society of Artists. He painted allegorical subjects, portraits, and conversation pieces. His art was weak, his figures stiff and poorly composed. The ' Power of Music and Beauty.' by him, was engraved by J. Watson, and his ' The Four Elements/ by C. Spooner. His portrait of Queen Charlotte is also engraved.

P YM, B., miniatwre painter. He prac- tised in London, and found much employ- ment about the end o{ the 18th century. For some time he was a regular contributor to the Royal Academy Exhibitions, but his name does not appear after 1793.

PYNE, William Henry, water-colour painter. Was the son of a leather-seller in Holborn, and born 1769. His early love of drawing induced his father to place him under a clever draftsman, but he disliked his master, and refused to be apprenticed to him. He, however, managed to attain a great facility with his pencil, and showed much taste in the selection of objects for his sketches. He practised only in water- colour. He first appeared as an exhibitor at the Royal Academy in 1790,contributing Fair/ and a 'Puppet Show/ and in the succeeding years exhibited chiefly rural subjects up to 1796. In his early works his foregrounds are carefully drawn with the pen and tinted with warm colour, his middle distances put in with grey. In his rural landscapes figures and animals were cleverly introduced. He was one of the original members of the Water-Colour Society 1804, but he resigned in 1809, and
 * Travelling Comedians ' * Bartholomew

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