Background
John Russell was born on March 29, 1745 in Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom. He was a son of John Russell, an artist, book and print seller and five times mayor of the town.
High St, Guildford GU1 3BB, United Kingdom
In his early years, John Russell studied at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford.
1772
Burlington House, Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 0BD, United Kingdom
In 1772, Russell was made an associate of the Royal Academy of Arts. Some time later, in 1778, he was elected a Royal Academician.
High St, Guildford GU1 3BB, United Kingdom
In his early years, John Russell studied at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford.
Burlington House, Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 0BD, United Kingdom
In 1772, Russell was made an associate of the Royal Academy of Arts. Some time later, in 1778, he was elected a Royal Academician.
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1772
John Russell was born on March 29, 1745 in Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom. He was a son of John Russell, an artist, book and print seller and five times mayor of the town.
Initially, John Russell studied at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford. Some time later, he became a pupil of Francis Cotes, who was one of the pioneers of English pastel painting.
In 1760, Russell began exhibiting at the Society of Artists. Some time later, in 1767, John established his own studio and worked independently, although, he remained in a frequent contact with his mentor Francis Cotes. At that time, he met William Dodd, a clergyman, whose portrait he painted in 1768. Also, Russell got acquainted with Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon, who tried to persuade him to give up painting and attend her Methodist ministers' training college at Trevecca in Wales. But all her attempts were in vain.
Also, Russell took part in numerous exhibitions. For example, in 1768, the painter exhibited at the Society of Artists of Great Britain. Moreover, from 1769 until his death, Russell showed his works at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.
During his lifetime, the painter traveled extensively in England, spending time in Cambridge and Brighton in 1772, in Kidderminster and Shrewsbury in 1777, in Worcester in 1780 and in Wales in 1781. Some of his best and rare landscapes date from after 1781.
In 1789, John received a commission to portray the royal physician Francis Willis. The result met the monarch's expectations, and the following year, in 1790, Russell was appointed a court painter to King George III, Queen Charlotte, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York. It was at that time, that the painter became popular and developed a large and fashionable clientele.
John Russell became famous for his portrait work in oils and pastels. In 1770, he obtained a gold medal at the Royal Academy of Arts for figure drawing.
Also, it was Russell, who invented an apparatus for exhibiting the phenomena of the Moon, which he called "Selenographia".
Today, the painter's works are kept in the collections of numerous galleries around the world, including Guildford House Art Gallery in Guildford, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., Tate Britain in London, Louvre in Paris and others.
Portrait of a Lady
Captain Braithwaite
Charles Wesley (1757–1834)
Portrait of a Lady with Her Child
Small Girl Presenting Cherries
Samuel Wesley (1766–1837)
Martha Gunn and the Prince of Wales
Henrietta Shelley (1731–1809), Countess of Onslow
Joshua Walker (1750–1815), of Clifton House
Sir William Herschel (1738–1822)
Portrait of a girl in a Bonnet
The Right Honourable Selina, Countess of Huntingdon (1707–1791), Foundress and Benefactress
Rural Employment
Colonel James Capper and His Daughter
Anthony Knowles
George Birkbeck (1776–1841)
William Dodd
Reverend Charles Wesley (1707–1788), MA
Susannah Walker (1760–1831)
Portrait of an Unknown Girl in a White Dress
William Wilberforce (1759–1833)
Portrait of George de Ligne Gregory
Philip Stanhope
Captain and Mrs Hardcastle
Micoc and Tootac
John Lee (d.1809), and His Family
Mary Phoebe Spencer Nelson Taylor and Daughters (1776–1847)
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Lloyd (1751–1828), Colonel of the Leeds Volunteers
William Wilberforce
Portrait of a Man
Alexander Turner
Dr Andrew Gifford (1700–1784), Assistant Librarian (1756–1784)
A Young John Wesley (1703–1791), Preaching
Two small Girls with Bonnets
Portrait of George Whitefield
John Russell converted to Methodism at the age of nineteen.
Russell was a man of remarkable religious character and a devout follower of George Whitefield. Also, John was interested in astronomy.
John married Hannah Faden on February 5, 1770. Their marriage produced twelve children, four of which died in infancy. Most notable of them were William Russell, Anne Russell and Jane Russell, all became artists.
