Page:Dictionary of Artists of the English School (1878).djvu/475

 WAL

manner he imitated. He practised paint- ing, and executed several ceilings ; but his chief employment was as an illustrator of books. His designs were chiefly made with the pen and tinted with Indian ink, and are many of them from English his- tory, but they are weak and spiritless, wanting both id drawing and in light and shade. He was one of the foundation members of the Royal Academy, and first lecturer on perspective, of which he was a master, and also professed a knowledge of architecture. He lived in the same house with John Gwynne, R.A., the architect, and assisted him both in the artistic and literary part of his publications. There is an engraving from a joint drawing by them of the ' Interior of St. Paul's Cathe- dral/ decorated according to Sir C. Wren's original intention. He painted some signs, and one of ' Shakespeare ' was of some notoriety. On the death of Richard Wilson he was appointed librarian to the Academy. H* was an exhibitor at the Academy from 1769 to 1778, contributing sacred and his- toric subjects, but chiefly tinted designs only. In the latter year he was placed upon the Academy Pension Fund, and was the first member who participated in its benefits. He died February 6, 1786, in Little Court, Leicester Square. There are works by him in Bethlehem Hospital, St. Thomas s Hospital, Christ's Hospital, and the Foundling Hospital, at the latter a small landscape, good m colour and light in shade, with figures well introduced. There are also some slight etchings by him. The illustrations for l London and its En- virons Described/ 1761, are by him, as are also those for an edition of Izaak Walton's ' Angler.'

W A L E S, James, landscape painter. Was born of respectable parents, at Peter- head, in 1748, and was educated at the Marischal College, Aberdeen. Choosing landscape, his love of art was fostered by travel. He went to the East Indies in 1791, and devoted himself to make draw- ings of the ancient architecture and sculp- ture. Twenty-four of his drawings of the Temple of Ellora are engraved by Thomas Daniell, R.A., in his work on* i Hindoo Excavations,' 1803. He also made draw- ings of the Temple of Elephanta, and in 1788 and 1789 was an exhibitor of portraits at the Royal Academy. He died in 1796, at Salsette, on the coast of Malabar, where he had gone to make drawings. He paint- ed some good portraits of the Indian Princes and their ministers.

WALKER, Anthony, engraver and draftsman. Was born at Salisbury in 1726. Other accounts say Thirsk, and that his father was a hatter. After gaining some knowledge of his art he came to London, placed himself under John Tinney, 454

WAL

and was admitted a member of the St. Martin's Lane Academy. He engraved the figures in his fellow-pupil Woollett's on frontispieces and vignettes for book illustrations, which he both designed and engraved. In 1754 he published five ex- cellent plates, after his own designs, from ' Romeo and Juliet,' and was then noticed and employed by Alderman Boydell, for whom he engraved after Pietro di Cortona, Holbein, Rembrandt, Chatelaine, Woollett. and others. He exhibited his 'Angel, after Rembrandt at the Spring Gardens' Rooms, 1765. He died at the early age of 39, near Kensington, May 9, 1765. leaving a promise of much excellence, and was buried in Kensington churchyard.
 * Niobe.' He was fopsome time employed

WALKER, yfiiAjiAM f engraver. Brother of the above, and one of a family of 10 children, all of whom were remarkable for their love of drawing. He was born at Thirsk, in November 1729, and served his apprenticeship to a dyer. When his time was out he came to London, bent upon following art, and was taught by his brother, whom he for some time assisted. He was employed for nearly 30 years upon the illustrations of the publications of the day, and also engraved some good plates for Alderman Boydell. Early in life he dis- covered the valuable art of re-biting, and Woollett, who occasionally used the process, when successful, was wont to exclaim, 'Thank you, William Walker.' Unable to overcome the loss of his daughter, he died in Rosoman Street, Clerkenwell, February 18, 1793.

WALKER, John, engraver. Son of the foregoing. Practised in London in the second half of the 18th century, and finished many of his father's plates. He engraved views in England, Ireland, and Scotland, which were published, 1794-96, in a serial called ' The New Copper-Plate Magazine. 7

WALKER, Frederick, A.R.A., sub- ject painter. Was born in Marylebone in 1840. His father and his grandfather were both lovers of art. He began his art career by drawing at the British Museum, and at 16 was placed for 18 months with an architect named Baker. From him he returned to the British Museum, and studied at the same time at Leigh's even- ing classes, while he entered soon after the schools of the atoyal Academy. He had already begun to clraw on wood ; and to improve himself in this art, he placed himself with a wood-engraver, and remain- ed with him three years,, drawing three days a-week. An introduction to Thack- eray led to his illustrating for the ' Cornhill Magazine/ and he also worked for ' Sunday at Home,' ' Good Words,' ' Once a Week,' and other periodicals. The last books he