Page:Dictionary of Artists of the English School (1878).djvu/501

 m

WIN

storm on November 26, 1703, which swept the whole away. He etched some views of Audley Inn 1688, which, though now rare, have little art-merit, and dedicated them to James II.

• WINSTANLBY, Hamlet, engraver. Son of the above. Was intended for a painter and was a pupil of Sir Godfrey Kneller. He painted several portraits, among them the Bishop of Chester, and a group of himself and Ms wife, which are engraved by Faber. His portraits are cor- rect in drawing, but weak m expression and colour. Having travelled in Italy, on his return he gave himself up chiefly to engrav- ing. He etched 25 of the family portraits and pictures of the Derby family, and pub- lished under the title of ' The Knowslev Gallery/ his etchings from Lord Derby's pictures; also, a set of prints from Thorn- nill's paintings in the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, and several others. He died, aged 61, m May 1761, and was buried at Warrington, Lancashire.

WINSTON,, amateur. Was born in 1814 at Farningham, Kent, where his father, the Rev. B. A. Sandford, was the vicar. On succeeding to some property he took the name of Winston. He gradu- ated at Oxford, and was in 1814 called to the bar, and practised on the Home Circuit. But with the law he cultivated a love of glass-painting, and acquiring great accuracy of drawing, he made many copies of ancient glass, rendering the character and colour with great skill. He was also distinguished for his knowledge of stained glass. He

Sublished in 1847 an ' Inquiry into the ifference of Style observable in Ancient Glass- Painting,' and in 1849 ' An Introduc- tion to the Study of Painted Glass,' and he contributed several papers to the Journal of the Archaeological Society. His published works were illustrated by drawings made by himself, and on his death, October 3, 1864, he left to the nation a large collection of drawings of stained glass.

• WISSING, W iLLiAM, portrait painter. Born at Amsterdam, 1656. Studied at the Hague both portrait and history. After leaving his master there he went to Paris, and shortly after, about 1680, came to England. He was at first employed by Lely and imitated his manner, and on his death succeeded to much patronage and was the fashionable rival of Kneller. He paint- ed the portraits of the Royal family and several of the Duke of Monmouth, and was much employed by the Court. James II. appointed him his principal painter, and 1 sent him to Holland to paint the portraits of William and Mary, then Prince and' Princess of Orange. On his return he went: to Burleigh and painted the sixth Earl of Exeter, and soon after, dying there, Sep-' tember 10, 1687, in his 32nd year, he was.

480

WIT

buried by the Earl at St. Martin's Church, Stamford, where there is a tablet to his memory. His death was attributed to envy, and he was suspected of having been

goisoned, but without any sufficient grounds, everal of his works are well engraved in mezzo-tint, among them a fine portrait of himself, ipse pinxit, by John Smith. His portraits were solidly and carefully painted, pleasing in character, rather gay m colour, and not undeserving the reputation he enjoyed. It is said that he would take by the hand a pale-faced sitter and dance her about the room to heighten her colour and improve her looks.

WITHERINGTON, William Frede- rick, R.A., landscape painter. Was born in Goswell Street, London, May 26, 1785, and brought up to a business, but cherish- ing an early love of drawing he tried to improve himself, and when in his twentieth year gained admission to the schools of the Koyal Academy, but while an attentive student he did not for a considerable time abandon his business pursuits. In 1811 he first exhibited his ' Tintern Abbey ' at the British Institution, and the same year also exhibited at the Academy. His early works were landscapes with figures, but he afterwards tried more purely figure sub- jects of a rural character, and his health failing he lived more in the country, and for several years painted landscapes. In 1835 he exhibited ' A Hop-garden/ one of his best works, which forms part of the Sheepshanks' Gift to the South Kensington Museum. There are also two landscapes by him in the Vernon Collection. He gained his election as associate of the Aca- demy in 1830, and as full member in 1840, and at this time painted much of the scenery of Devon and the Welsh Lakes. His landscapes were entirely English, in- troducing all the rural accessories of Eng- lish scenery; careful, pleasing, full of incident, with the figures well introduced, his works yet fail to reach an art that would give him a high rank as a land- scape painter. He died April 10, 1865, aged 79. • *

WITHERS, Edward, chfGia-painter. About 1774 he was the first painter of flowers at the old Derby Works, but his employment there failing, he went to Staf- fordshire, yet met with no better success. Then quitting Ins own art, he found eni-

Eloyment in the Japan trade in Birming- am. Next he went to London, where he suffered much distress. Mower-painting being in request at the Derby Works, he was sought out and sent for. but he nad lost his early skill He fell into great difficulties, which were attributed to his own misconduct, and on his death he was buried by the contributions of his fellow- workmen.