Background
John Linnell was born on June 16, 1792 in London, England, United Kingdom.
John Linnell was born on June 16, 1792 in London, England, United Kingdom.
In 1805 John Linnell studied at the Royal Academy, where he obtained medals for drawing, modelling and sculpture.
Linnell was a very versatile artist, able to work in a number of mediums. He worked in both oils and watercolours. He painted miniatures on ivory and was a skilled engraver. Whilst at the Royal Academy he received a medal for drawing from life (1807) and one for life modelling (1810).
He became an extremely thriving portrait painter but his real passion was always landscape painting. From the late 1840’s he abandoned portraiture in favour of landscapes. Deeply religious, his work includes Biblical landscapes as well as those of Surrey where he lived from 1851 onwards. Throughout his life, his work was much in demand and he became very prosperous.
He was quick to recognize and encourage original talent. He vigorously championed William Blake’s work and became his last patron, commissioning works for which there was little public demand. He took the seventeen years old Samuel Palmer (his future son-in-law) under his wing providing instruction, advice and encouragement. He supported the Pre-Raphaelites (Rossetti, Holman Hunt and Millais) at the inception of their movement when there was much opposition to them.
