Gilbert, SIR JOHN

Gilbert, SIR JOHN, English painter, was born in 1817 at Blackheath, near London. School-days over, he was placed at a mercantile house in the City, but after two weary years was pronounced to be wholly unfit for business, and allowed to follow his true vocation—art. Save for some lessons from Lance, the fruit-painter, he taught himself; his masters, the old masters—Rubens, Rembrandt, Velasquez. In 1836 he began to exhibit both in oil and water-colours; and in 1852 he was elected an associate, in 1853 a member, in 1871 the president of the Society of Painters in Water-colours, receiving soon after the honour of knighthood. He also became an A.R.A. in 1872, an R.A. in 1876, and a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour. 'The Scott of painting' liked historical, chivalric, antiquarian subjects; and his style is familiar through countless wood-engravings in the Illustrated London News, and in editions of Shakespeare, Scott's Poems, Don Quixote, &c. His oil-paintings include 'Don Quixote,' 'Gil Blas,' 'Murder of Becket,' 'Joan of Arc,' 'Crusaders,' 'Wolsey at Leicester,' and 'Morning of Agincourt.' He died 5th October 1897, leaving £250,000. He had in 1893 made over to the nation his fine collection of paintings, to be distributed amongst London and other corporations.