In the last few years of his life Landseer's mental stability was problematic, and at the request of his family he was declared insane in July 1872.Īlpine Mastiffs Reanimating a Distressed Traveller (1820) In his late thirties Landseer suffered what is now believed to be a substantial nervous breakdown, and for the rest of his life was troubled by recurring bouts of melancholy, hypochondria, and depression, often aggravated by alcohol and drug use. He was knighted in 1850, and although elected to be president of the Royal Academy in 1866 he declined the invitation. Despite her being twenty years older than he was, they began an affair. In 1823 Landseer was commissioned to paint a portrait of Georgiana Russell, Duchess of Bedford. He was an acquaintance of Charles Robert Leslie, who described him as "a curly-headed youngster, dividing his time between Polito's wild beasts at Exeter Chanqe and the Royal Academy Schools." They also visited Scotland together in 1824, which had a great effect upon Landseer. He was elected an Associate at the minimum age of 24, and an Academician five years later in 1831. At the age of just 13, in 1815, he exhibited works there as an “Honorary Exhibitor”. Landseer's life was entwined with the Royal Academy. He studied under several artists, including his father, and the history painter Benjamin Robert Haydon, who encouraged the young Landseer to perform dissections in order to fully understand animal musculature and skeletal structure. He was something of a prodigy whose artistic talents were recognised early on. Even today, his career is famous for these specific topics and the addition of his work for Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square ensures that his reputation shows little sign of waning any time soon.Landseer was born in London, the son of the engraver John Landseer A.R.A. In recent years he has received a number of exhibitions devoted to his career in both nations, with the inherent themes of the British landscape, animals and also the ruling powers of Victorian Britain being of interest to a great many. This is an artist who pricked interest across the pond in the US, who traditionally have followed many of the most famous British painters. A number of engravings of his most famous paintings allowed his reputation to spread beyond the British boundaries and his connection to the ruling Monarchy immediately stirred interest. Landseer was held in popular regard by the public throughout the majority of his career, even though he came under attack from academics from time time. If we look at the most famous British artists, no-one has quite the same content as that found in Landseer's paintings - Gainsborough combined portraits and landscapes, whilst Turner and Constable just concerned themselves with landscapes and seascapes. Few British artists have managed to capture the beauty of the natural world or the animal world as well as Landseer, but some of his greatest works have similar qualities to the extraordinary accuracy of George Stubbs, who himself gave us the enchanting Whistlejacket. The Monarch of the Glen remains his signature painting and perfectly captures his work within the UK. She understood the immediacy and accessibility of his paintings, and that Scottish themes alongside her own image could help to encourage others within the nation to embrace her rule with a greater passion. In a form of propaganda, long before the arrival of the modern media, Landseer was used by Queen Victoria to improve and develop her public image within Scotland. This connection to the monarchy also brought about Landseer’s time working in the Scottish highlands, which again added an extra inspiration to his work and supplied an additional genre of work to his final oeuvre. Indeed, Prince Albert was known to have been delighted with his gifted portrait of Eos, his greyhound. They trusted him, and hugely respected his work. To be invited into the personal world of this ruling couple was a rare privilege and their relationship continued for many years, with the artist being given many more projects from there on in. She considered him a particularly clever artist and commissioned him to produce a portrait of her husband's dog, Eos. The artist became very close with Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert. It also ensured that Landseer's paintings will always remain in the public conscience, even if his artistic style falls out of fashion. These paintings opened doors to his career as well as leaving behind some charming portraits of key figures from this era. There was also an additional sphere to his oeuvre which focused on the ruling monarchy of the time. Whilst being an exceptional piece, there are many other significant works from his career that can be considered its equal. When considering the career of this highly respected painter, one immediately remembers his most famous painting of all - The Monarch of the Glen.
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