Below is the brief biography of George Patten, a British artist famous for portraits of royal patrons.
Table of Contents
Early Life of George Patten
- An image of George Patten
George Patten was born on 29 June, 1801. His father – William Patten was a miniature painter. George Patten received most of his early training from his father. His father’s paintings were often found at the Royal Academy between 1791 and 1844. He died in the year 1843 on Aug 22.After the death of his father, he joined the Royal Academy Schools. This is where he made his first exhibition. The painting was a miniature of his father in 1819.
In 1830, he went to the Royal Academy yet again and this time took up oil painting.
Art Career of George Patten
Patten visited Italy, Rome and Parma in the year 1837. He was also elected the associate of the Royal Academy on his return in the same year. Patten painted the portrait of Prince Albert in early 1840’s in Germany. The painting was exhibited in the Royal Academy and engraved by Charles Eden Wagstaff. His excellence was rewarded as he was appointed the portrait painter to the Prince.
For many years, he enjoyed the patronage of the British Court circles where he painted few ideal pictures.
He was a historical painter and painted portraits of men like Richard Cobden, Lord Francis Egerton, Hugh Boyd M’Neile. His painting of Paganini the violinist was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1833. He displayed the element of ‘patronage’ in his paintings. All his presentation portraits were appreaciated and many of them appeared in the Royal Academy.
- ‘Apollo and Clytie’ by George Patten
He also painted mythological, fancy and scriptural objects. ‘Apollo and Clytie’ painted in 1857, ‘Pandora’ in the year 1846, ‘The Destruction of Idolatry in England’ in 1849. His painting ‘A Nymph and Child’ was exhibited in the Royal Academy in 1831.
Personal Life of George Patten
George Patten married a woman named Lucy with whom he had two children. His son Alfred Fowler Patten was born in 1829 and grew up to become a genre painter. His daughter was Clara Maria whose children were Arthur Black, Clementia Black and Constance Garnett.
Later Life and Death of George Patten
During his latter life, Patten lived in Goodrich Cross, Ross in Herdfordshire in the Eastern part of England. Before his death he was in Winchmorehill, Middlesex where he had his own residence called ‘Hill House’. He died there suddenly out of cardiac arrest on 11th March 1865 at the age of 63.