John Hoppner

Background

John Hoppner was born on April 4, 1758 in Whitechapel, London, United Kingdom. The fact, that his mother was an attendant at court, led to the scandalous, but almost certainly false rumour, that he was an illegitimate child of George III.

Education

In his early years, John was trained as a chorister in the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace. Later, in 1775, he enrolled at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Career

John Hoppner's first exhibition took place in the Royal Academy of Arts in 1780. Early in his career, he was passionate about landscapes, but necessity forced him to turn to the more lucrative business of portrait painting. Throughout his life, John had fashionable and wealthy sitters, including Sir Walter Scott, Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, Henry Bartle Frere, Sir George Beaumont and others.

In 1789, he was appointed a portrait painter to the Prince of Wales and after the death of Reynolds, he and Thomas Lawrence were the leading portraitists in the country. In 1795, John was elected a member of the Royal Academy of Arts, where he exhibited his works until 1809. Later in his life, Hoppner also turned to literature, translating foreign verse into English with mediocre results.

Achievements

• John Hoppner was an accomplished portrait painter, who depicted notable sitters. His most famous works included "Miss Mary Linwood" and "Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson".
  
  In 1778, the painter received a silver medal for drawing from life. Later, in 1782, Hoppner was awarded a gold medal for historical painting.

Works

More photos

• painting

  • Portrait of Louisa Lane, Called 'Cecilia'

  • Portrait of a Lady as Evelina

  • William Boteler

  • The Honourable Elizabeth Ingram

  • The Little Gardener

  • Portrait of a lady

  • Portrait of George IV, when Prince of Wales

  • Susannah Edith, Lady Rawley

  • Portrait of Dorothy Jordan as Rosalind in 'As You Like It'

  • Miss Mary Linwood

  • Portrait of Mrs Williams

  • The Frankland Sisters

  • Peter Leopold Nassau Cowper, 5th Earl Cowper

  • Lady Louisa Manners, Countess of Dysart

  • Little girl by the sea

  • The Honorable Lucy Elizabeth Byng

  • Portrait of a young lady

  • Midsummer night’s dream

  • Portrait of Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan

  • Portrait of Harriet, Viscountess Duncannon with Her Sons

  • Jane Elizabeth, Countess of Oxford

  • Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington

  • Jupiter and Io

  • Eleanor Agnes Hobart, Countess of Buckinghamshire

  • Sir Ralph Abercromby

  • Mrs. Cholmondeley

  • Portrait of Mrs Young

  • Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson

  • The Hon. Alicia Herbert as a Child

  • Mary Robinson as Perdita

  • Portrait of Charlotte Walsingham, Lady Fitzgerald

  • Portrait of Mademoiselle Hilligsberg

  • Lady Elizabeth Howard

  • Lady Hamilton as 'Neæra'

  • Lady Romney, Frances Wyndham

  • An Unknown British Officer

  • Princess Amelia

  • Portrait of Miss Fisher

  • William Lock

  • Captain Peter Parker

  • The Bowden Children

  • Master Meyrick (William Henry Meyrick in ruffled infant's dress)

  • Princess Sophia, after John Hoppner

  • Peter Dolland

  • Portrait of Harriet Brouncker of Boveridge Dorset

  • Richard Bache

  • Miranda

  • William Pitt the Younger

  • Richard Humphreys, the Boxer

  • Portrait of Dorothy Jordan as Hypolita

Membership

• Royal Academy of Arts , United Kingdom

  1795

Personality

Hoppner was a man of great social power, who had the knowledge and accomplishments of a man of the world.

Connections

Hoppner was married to Phoebe Wright, who was a daughter of American-born sculptor Patience Wright. Their marriage produced five children — Catherine Hampden Hoppner, a magistrate at East India Company; Richard Belgrave Hoppner, a British Consul general; Wilson Lascelles Hoppner, an artist and Henry Parkyns Hoppner, an officer of the Royal Navy, Arctic explorer and artist. Little is known about the youngest child.

child:

Catherine Hampden Hoppner

child:

Henry Parkyns Hoppner

child:

Wilson Lascelles Hoppner

child:

Richard Belgrave Hoppner

Wife:

Phoebe Wright

References

• John Hoppner
  2012
• 51 Color Paintings of John Hoppner This book includes 51 high quality reproductions of Hoppner's greatest masterpieces with title and date.
  2013