Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 24.djvu/422

 Harlow of as 'yeoman of our chamber' or 'yeoman of the corone' (ib. v. 537, vi. 84, 87). There is no record of his being knighted. He had a daughter Margaret, who married Philip de Carteret (d. 1500), grandson of her father's old ally, and had by him twenty-one children; Sir Philip de Carteret (1584-1643) [q. v.] was a descendant. Philip de Carteret was imprisoned in 1494 by Matthew Baker, the then governor of Jersey, but was released by the order of Henry VII at the personal intercession of his wife.

 HARLOW, GEORGE HENRY (1787–1819), painter, born in St. James's Street, London, on 10 June 1787, was posthumous son of a China merchant, who after some years' residence in the East had died about five months before his son's birth, leaving a widow with five infant daughters. Indulged and petted by his mother, Harlow was sent when quite young to Dr. Barrow's classical school in Soho Square, and subsequently to Mr. Roy's school in Burlington Street. He was for a short time at Westminster School, but having shown a predilection for painting, he was placed under Henry De Cort [q. v.], the landscape-painter. He next worked under Samuel Drummond [q. v.], A.R.A., the portrait-painter, but after about a year entered the studio of Sir Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A. This step is said to have been taken at the suggestion of Georgiana, duchess of Devonshire; but Harlow's natural affinity to Lawrence's style in painting would be quite sufficient to account for his choice. Harlow paid Lawrence handsomely for his admission and the right to copy, but according to the contract was not entitled to instruction. Harlow now determined to devote himself to painting, and refused an offer of a writership in the East India trade made by his father's friends. He remained for about eighteen months in Lawrence's studio, copying his pictures, and occasionally drawing preliminary portions of Lawrence's own productions. A difference about Harlow's work for one of Lawrence's pictures led to a breach with Lawrence, and Harlow rendered reconciliation impossible by painting a caricature signboard for an inn at Epsom in Lawrence's style and with Lawrence's initials affixed to it. Harlow henceforth pursued an original system of art education. He inveighed strongly against all academical rules and principles. Young, headstrong, and impatient of restraint, with a handsome person and amiable disposition, he was generally popular in society. He affected, however, an extravagance in dress far beyond his means, a superiority of knowledge, and a license of conversation which gave frequent offence even to those really interested in the development of his genius. His foibles led his friends to nickname him 'Clarissa Harlowe.' He worked, however, with industry and enthusiasm in his art. He possessed a power of rapid observation and a retentive memory which enabled him to perform astonishing feats, like that of painting a satisfactory portrait of a gentleman named Hare, lately dead, whom Harlow had only once met in the street. Though openly opposed to the Royal Academy, he was a candidate for the dignity of academician, but he only received the vote of Fuseli. He exhibited for the first time at the Academy in 1804, sending a portrait of Dr. Thornton. In later years he exhibited many other portraits. His practice in this line was extensive. His portraits are well conceived, and, though much in the manner and style of Lawrence, have a character of their own. His portraits of ladies were always graceful and pleasing. He was less successful, owing to his defective art-education, in historical painting, in which he aspired to excel. His first exhibited historical pictures were 'Queen Elizabeth striking the Earl of Essex,' at the Royal Academy, 1807, and 'The Earl of Bolingbroke entering London,' at the British Institution, 1808. In 1815 he painted 'Hubert and Prince Arthur' for Mr. Leader, a picture subsequently exchanged for portraits of that gentleman's daughters. In 1814 he painted a group of portraits of Charles Mathews, the actor, in various characters, which attracted general attention. It was engraved by W. Greatbach for Yate's 'Life of Mathews.' Harlow received a commission from Mr. Welch, the musician, to paint a portrait of Mrs. Siddons as Queen Katharine in Shakespeare's 'Henry VIII.' This was commenced from memory, but subsequently the actress, at Mr. Welch s request, gave the painter a sitting. While painting the portrait, Harlow resolved to expand the picture into the 'Trial Scene' from the same play, introducing portraits of the various members of the Kemble family and others. Mr. Welch, though not consulted by Harlow concerning this change of plan, behaved generously. The picture was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1817, and excited great public interest. It was neither well composed nor well executed, and owed much to the criticism and suggestions of