1791 in art

Events from the year 1791 in art.

Events

• The Society of Artists of Great Britain is dissolved.

Works

H.-P. Danloux – Le Baron de Besenval dans son salon de compagnie at the Hôtel de Besenval in Paris

Dorothea Jordan as Hippolyta by John Hoppner

• James Barry – The Thames (or Triumph of Navigation) ^[1]
• Henri-Pierre Danloux – Baron de Besenval in his Study (National Gallery, London)
• Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson – Endymion: Moonlight (The Sleep of Endymion)
• Anton Graff – Friedrich Schiller
• John Hoppner – Dorothea Jordan as Hippolyta
• Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun – Portrait of Hyacinthe Gabrielle Roland ^[2]
• George Morland – The Slave Trade ^[3]
• Jean-Laurent Mosnier – Portrait of the Chevalier d'Eon
• Henry Raeburn – Portrait of Sir John and Lady Clerk of Penicuik ^[4]
• Jacques Sablet – Roman Elegy ^[5]
• George Stubbs – Equestrian portrait of The Prince of Wales

Births

• January 6 – William Bent Berczy, painter and political figure in Upper Canada (died 1873)
• February 10
  • Francesco Hayez, Italian historical, portrait and political painter (died 1881)
  • Ōtagaki Rengetsu, Japanese Buddhist nun and poet, skilled potter and painter, and expert calligrapher (died 1875)
• February 13 – Sylvester Shchedrin, Russian landscape painter (died 1830)
• February 21 – Hezekiah Augur, American sculptor and inventor (died 1858)
• March 20 – Marie Ellenrieder, German painter (died 1863)
• April 27 – Samuel F. B. Morse, American inventor and painter of portraits and historic scenes (died 1872)
• June 18 – William Cowen, English landscape painter (died 1864)
• August 2 – August Piepenhagen, German painter active in Bohemia (died 1868)
• September 26 – Théodore Géricault, French painter and lithographer, pioneer of the Romantic movement (died 1824)
• December 17 – Samuel Amsler, Swiss engraver (died 1849)
• date unknown
  • Kapiton Pavlov, Russian portrait painter (died 1852)
  • Pyotr Sokolov, Russian aquarelle portraitist (died 1848)
  • Antoine Jean-Baptiste Thomas, French painter and lithographer (died 1833)

Deaths

• January 4 – Étienne Maurice Falconet, French Rococo sculptor (born 1716)
• January 23 – François-Thomas Germain, French silversmith (born 1726)
• January 25 – Giovanni Pichler, German-Italian artist in engraved gems (born 1734)
• February 12 – William Parry, Welsh portrait painter (born 1743)
• March 20 – Marie Jeanne Clemens, Danish engraver and painter, member of Danish Academy of Fine Arts (born 1755)
• June 5 – Giuseppe Ghedini, Italian painter and university professor of painting (born 1708)
• June 22 – Giuseppe Antonio Landi, Italian neoclassical architect and painter of quadratura (born 1713)
• June 30 – Jean-Baptiste Descamps, French painter of village scenes (born 1714)
• October 17 – Per Floding, Swedish designer and engraver (born 1731)
• November 7 – Dorning Rasbotham, English writer and painter (born 1730)
• November 16 – Edward Penny, English portrait and historical painter (born 1714)
• November 25 – Jean-Claude Richard, French painter and engraver (born 1727)
• date unknown
  • Robert Carver, Irish painter, especially of theater scenery (born 1730)
  • Kang Sehwang, Korean politician, painter, calligrapher and art critic (born 1713)

References

1. "The Thames (or Triumph of Navigation)". Archived from the original on 2012-04-01. Retrieved 2012-04-18.
2. "Portrait of Hyacinthe Gabrielle Roland". Fine Art Museums of San Francisco. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
3. "The Slave Trade (Morland)". Africans in America. PBS. Retrieved 2019-02-13.
4. "Portrait of Sir John and Lady Clerk of Penicuik (NGI.4530)". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
5. "Roman Elegy". The Brest Museum. Retrieved 14 January 2026.