William Dobson

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William Dobson
Portrait of the artist, bust length in a black tunic and white collar.jpg
Self-portrait of Dobson in the late 1630s
BornBaptised (1611-03-04)4 March 1611
London, England
Died28 October 1646(1646-10-28) (aged 35)
Oxford, England
Education Apprenticeship in London
Known for Portrait painting
Spouses
Elizabeth
​
(before 1634)​
Judith Sander
​
(after 1637)​

William Dobson (4 March 1611 (baptised); 28 October 1646 (buried) [1] ) was an English painter who specialised in portrait painting. One of the first significant English painters, he was praised by his contemporary John Aubrey as "the most excellent painter that England has yet bred". [2] The art critic Waldemar Januszczak describes him as the first British born painter of genius.

Contents

After Dobson's first apprenticeship he joined the studio of the German-born artists Francis Cleyn. It is possible Dobson had access to the Royal Collection and copied works by Titian and Anthony van Dyck. Little is known of Dobson's career in the 1630s.

After van Dyck’s death in 1641, Dobson was able to gain royal commissions from Charles I of England. One unverified source claimed that he become serjeant painter to Charles, and Groom of the Chamber. It is not known how he gained an introduction to the king. Dobson's final years were disrupted by the English Civil War, which forced him to be based with the royal court at Oxford. There he painted leading cavaliers such as Charles Lucas, John Byron, 1st Baron Byron, Prince Rupert of the Rhine, and Maurice, Prince Palatine of the Rhine. Most of his surviving works are half-length portraits that date from 1642. There is evidence that his materials became increasingly scarce during the war. He returned to London in 1646, where he died in poverty at the age of 35.

There are examples of Dobson's paintings in art galleries in the UK, the US, and in New Zealand, as well as in several English country houses.

Life

Family and early years

Dobson was born in London,[ citation needed ] the son of William Dobson, who was possibly a lawyer, [3] and was baptised at St Andrew's Holborn. He was first apprenticed to the English printseller and painter William Peake, before becoming a student in the studio of the German-born painter and tapestry maker Francis Cleyn. [3] There is a claim that his father was a decorative artist, but this may be a misreading of the single known quote about Dobson Sr, by the antiquarian John Aubrey, which states that William senior assisted Francis Bacon with the designs of Verulam House but "he spending his estate upon women, necessity forced his son ... to be the most excellent painter that England hath yet bred". [4]

Dobson is believed to have had access to the Royal Collection and to have copied works by Titian and Anthony van Dyck, the court painter of King Charles I of England. The colour and texture of Dobson's work was influenced by Venetian painting, but van Dyck's style had little apparent influence on Dobson. [5] The story that van Dyck himself discovered Dobson when he noticed one of the young artist's pictures in a London shop window is not supported by any evidence, nor do we know how he gained his introduction to the King, who had Dobson paint himself, his sons and members of the court.

Artistic career

Little is known of Dobson's career in the 1630s, but when van Dyck died in 1641, the opportunity arose for him to gain royal commissions from King Charles. He is said to have become serjeant painter to the King and groom of the privy chamber. [1] However, this claim comes from only one old and as yet unverified source. [6] During the English Civil War Dobson was based at the Royalist centre of Oxford and painted many leading Cavaliers. His portrait of the future Charles II as Prince of Wales at the age of around twelve is a notable baroque composition, and perhaps his finest work. He also painted at least the head of Duke of York, as well as portraits of leading Royalists such as Charles Lucas and John Byron, 1st Baron Byron, Prince Rupert of the Rhine and Prince Maurice.

Personal life

Portrait thought to be of the artist's second wife, Judith, c. 1635-1640 Dobson portret zheny khudozhnika Dzhudit. Ok. 1634-1640.jpg
Portrait thought to be of the artist's second wife, Judith, c. 1635–1640

Dobson was married twice, first to Elizabeth, whose surname is unknown, as is the date of their marriage. She was buried in St Martin-in-the-Fields on 26 September 1634. On 18 December 1637 he married Judith Sander, who survived him. [1]

Final years

In London, Dobson spent a period of time in prison for debt. Following his death he was buried at St Martin in the Fields. [3]

Works

Dobson is associated with 51 paintings, [3] mostly half-length portraits dating from 1642 or later. The thick impasto of his early work gave way to a mere skim of paint, perhaps reflecting a wartime scarcity of materials. After Oxford fell to the Parliamentarians, in June 1646, Dobson returned to London. Now without patronage, he was briefly imprisoned for debt and died in poverty at the age of thirty-five.

Ellis Waterhouse described Dobson as "the most distinguished purely British painter before Hogarth", [8] and in the view of Waldemar Januszczak he was "the first British born genius, the first truly dazzling English painter". [9]

There are examples of Dobson's work at the National Gallery, the National Gallery of Scotland, Tate Britain, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Maritime Museum, Queen's House in Greenwich, the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull, the Courtauld Institute of Art, the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London, in several English country houses including notably Alnwick Castle where Dobson's self-portrait with Nicholas Lanier and Charles Cotterell is displayed, at the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, CT, USA, and at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery in New Zealand.

The 2011 anniversary of his birth was marked by exhibitions, a 'Dobson Trail' listing his paintings on a website, and a BBC television profile by Januszczak, The Lost Genius of British Art: William Dobson.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Katherine Gibson, William Dobson, Oxford Online Dictionary of National Biography, 2004
  2. ↑ "William Dobson 1611-46: Past display archive 17 August 2011 - 18 March 2012". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "William Dobson (1611-1646), Portrait painter". National Portrait Gallery . Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  4. ↑ Jones 2016, p. 27.
  5. ↑ Waldemar Januszczak (Summer 2016). "The Full English". Bonhams Magazine (47): 29.
  6. ↑ Jones 2016, p. 16.
  7. ↑ "William Dobson Portrait of the Artist's Wife c.1635–40". Tate Gallery. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  8. ↑ E. K. Waterhouse, Painting in Britain 1530–1790, 5th edn, New Haven and London 1994, p.80, quoted in United Kingdom Tate Gallery — William Dobson 1611–1646, Portrait of the Artist's Wife circa 1635–1640.
  9. ↑ Waldemar Januszczak in part three of his BBC documentary series, Baroque! From St Peter's to St Paul's; and 'The first great British painter?' in Tate, 17, Spring 1999, p.62.

Sources

Further reading

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