Shee, SIR MARTIN ARCHER

Shee, SIR MARTIN ARCHER, portrait-painter, was born at Dublin, 23d December 1770, studied under West, and as a boy of sixteen became famous as a portrait-painter. In 1788 he settled in London, where he became A.R.A. in 1798, R.A. in 1800, and President of the Royal Academy in 1830, when he was knighted. He was regarded as a rival of Lawrence, though his art was but poor and few of his portraits are now thought much of. He wrote several poems, didactic, tragic, and other; a novel; and a Plan for the Encouragement of Historical Painting. He died at Brighton, 19th August 1850. See the Life by his son (2 vols. 1860).