Page:Dictionary of Artists of the English School (1878).djvu/469

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! VARLKY, William Fleetwood, water- colour painter. Was younger brother of the above, and commenced art under his instructions. He exhibited views at the Royal Academy in 1804 and 1805, and regularly from 1809 to 1817. About 1810 he taught drawing in Cornwall, and after- wards at Bath and at Oxford, at which latter city, by the thoughtless frolics of a party of the students, he was nearly burnt to death. His nerves suffered a shock from which he never recovered, and he experienced great distress. In his latter days he was sheltered in the house of his son-in-law. H e died at Ramsgate, February 2, 1856, aged 71 years. VARLBY. Cornelius, water-colour

fiinter. Brother of the two foregoing, e was born at Hackney. November 21, 1781, and on the death of his father, when he was only ten years of age, was taken charge of by his uncle, a manufacturer of philosophical instruments and apparatus, under whom he gained a knowledge of mechanics, optics, and chemistry. He re- mained with his uncle till about his 20th ▼ear, and was engaged in many ingenious inventions and experiments, but left him about 1800, owing to some family disagree- ment, and joining his elder brother, John Yarley, he set himself to study art. Mak- ing several visits to Wales, he sketched direct from nature, and was soon engaged in teaching. He first appears as an ex- hibitor of *A Wood Scene, a Composition/ at the Royal Academy in 1803, and in the following year was one of the artists who met and founded the Water-Colour Society, of which he was one of the first members, and from its formation a constant con- tributor to its exhibitions. He was also a member of the Sketching Society. In 1808 he extended his sketching excursions to Ireland. Among his chief works were, in 1809, 'A Mountain Pastoral:' 1810. •The Sleeping Shepherd ;' 1811, * Evening, 5 and ' Palemon ana Lavinia ; ' 1815, ' View of Ardfort, Ireland/ and the same Vear he was appointed Treasurer of the Society: in 1816 he exhibited ' Evening in Wales;' 1819, « Ruins of Troy ; ' 1820, « The Vale of Tenip6 ; ' and in 1821, on changes which then took place, he resigned his member- ship. His works were few, chiefly of a classical character, introducing architecture and groups of figures, compositions care- fully and elaborately finished. He had, while a member of the Water-Colour So- ciety, occasionally sent a picture to the Academy exhibition, and he now exhibited his principal works there, seldom more than one, and usually a landscape composition. He exhibited for the last time in 1859. He was a man of many attainments, and, active in scientific pursuits, was a frequenter of the Royal Institution, and took to the 448

last an earnest interest in the proceedings of the Society of Arts, of which he was the oldest member. His practice in art was carried on without abandoning scientific pursuits. He made various improvements m the camera lucida, the camera obscura, the microscope, for which he received the Society of Arts' Isis gold medal ; and he in- vented the graphic telescope, for which he also received a medal at the Exhibition of 1851. He was the last survivor of the founders of the Water-Colour Society. In the enjoyment of his faculties to the end, he died at Highbury, October 2, 1873, in his 92nd year. He published ' Etchings of Boats and other Craft on the river Thames.'

VASLET, Lewis, miniature painter. Practised at York about 1770, and from 1775 to 1782 at Bath, and was an occa- sional exhibitor at the Royal Academy, contributing for the last time in the latter year.

VAUGHAN, Robert, engraver. He practised about the middle of the 17th cen- tury, and engraved the portraits of some eminent men, but his works do not possess much merit. He also engraved for Dug- dale's * Warwickshire. 7 Morton's ' Ordinal/ and for Ashmole's ' Theatrum Chenricum.' During the Protectorate he appended so offensive an inscription to a portrait of Charles II., that proceedings were taken against him after the Restoration. His latest known work is dated in 1655. He died about 1667.

VAUGHAN, William, engraver. Prac- tised in the last half of the 17 th century, and was chiefly employed upon frontis- pieces for the booksellers. He engraved after Barlow, ( A small Book of such Beasts as are most useful for Drawing, Graving. Arms Painting, and Chasing/ 1664 ; ana three plates for a small folio pamphlet, ' The Sufferings of Sir William Dick, of Braid/

VENDRAMINI, John, engraver. Was born near Bassano in 1769. Pursued the study of his art there till the age of 19, when he came to England, and, settling in London, completed his studies under fiar- tolozzi, with whom he remained till his master left England, when he succeeded to his house at North End, Fulham. In 1802 he married an English lady, and in 1805 he made a journey to St. Petersburgh and Moscow, and during a stay of two years in Russia was greatly esteemed, and was patronised by the Emperor, who made every effort to induce him to stay, and, his pass- port being refused, he escaped from the country in disguise. On reaching England he resumed the practice of his profession, and worked with great diligence on works of a high class. The chief of these are, 'The Vision of St. Catherine/ by Paul