Haydon, Benjamin Robert, 1786-1846

English painter.

Historical painter.

British painter.

Painter.

Benjamin Robert Haydon, English history painter and diarist.

Born, Plymouth, 1786; educated, Grammar schools at Plymouth and Plympton; moved to London to establish his career, 1804; exhibited his first picture, `Joseph and Mary resting on the Road to Egypt', at the Royal Academy, 1807; continued to specialise in producing large historical pictures, but struggled to stay solvent throughout his career; exhibited at the Royal Academy of Art, 1809; publicly attacked the Royal Academy in the Examiner, 1812; successfully exhibited `The Judgment of Solomon', 1814; involved with the controversy on the purchase of the Elgin marbles for the nation, 1815; set up a school to rival the Royal Academy; successfully exhibited `Christ's Entry into Jerusalem', 1820; arrested for debt, 1821; imprisoned in the King's Bench for debt and petitioned parliament to grant money for the decoration of churches and public buildings with paintings, 1823; continued to petition parliament, and ministers for support of his projects, including the decoration of the houses of parliament and scheme for schools of design; leased 58 Connaught Terrace, London from and had a close friendship with William Newton, who gave him considerable financial assistance; imprisoned for debt three more times, finally in 1830; exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1828 and again, 1842; involved in establishing an opposition school to the Somerset House government school of design, closed in 1839 after Somerset House introduced life drawing; lectured and wrote on painting and design, 1835-1846; committed suicide, 1846. Publications: The Judgement of Connoisseurs upon Works of Art compared with that of Professional Men, in reference more particularly to the Elgin Marbles (London, 1816); New Churches considered with respect to the opportunities they afford for the Encouragement of Painting (London, 1818); Comparaison entre la tête d'un des Chevaux de Verise, qui étaient sur l'arc triomphale des Thuilleries, et qu'on dit être de Lysippe, et la Tête de Cheval d'Elgin du Parthenon (London, 1818); Descriptions of Drawings from the Cartoons and Elgin Marbles by Mr. Haydon's Pupils (London, 1819); Some Enquiry into the Causes which have obstructed the Course of Historical Painting for the last seventy years in England (1829); On Academies of Art (more particularly the Royal Academy) and their pernicious effect on the Genius of Europe. Lecture xiii (London, 1839); Thoughts on the relative value of Fresco and Oil Painting as applied to the Architectural Decorations of the Houses of Parliament (London, 1842); Lectures on Painting and Design 2 vols (London, 1844-6).

Haydon was an English historical painter.

English history painter and diarist.

English historical painter.

Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786-1846), a historical painter and author, was a studious child who had an immediate affinity for art but was not encouraged by his family to pursue this interest. He persevered and began solitary studies and eventually became a student at the Royal Academy. He thought one of his early paintings wasn't displayed to advantage by the Royal Academy, and thus his life-long struggles with the Royal Academy began. To counter the Academy, he sought to have the government support artists and encourage the study of art for all.

In 1808, Haydon began his diary (currently housed at Harvard University) which is infamous for its candidness in revealing his idiosyncrasies. He kept up his diary until the day of his death.

Many of Haydon's paintings were religious: Joseph and Mary Resting on the Road to Egypt, The Judgement of Solomon, Christ's Entry into Jerusalem, and The Raising of Lazarus ; but he also painted portraits as well as paintings with political themes, such as The Mock Election and The Meeting of the Unions on Newhall Hill, Birmingham . Denatus and Marcus Curtius Leaping into the Gulf are examples of his work with a Roman theme. He was particularly interested in attaining accuracy in anatomy and the appropriate dress of his subjects.

Haydon was active in civic, social and artistic circles. He was well acquainted with literary figures of the day including John Keats, William Wordsworth, Charles Lamb and William Hazlitt and included their likenesses, as well as those of others he knew, in his paintings. Haydon also went on tours to deliver lectures on art.

Lack of income was usually a concern to Haydon and his family and led to many difficulties, including several imprisonments for debt. Many of his friends, including the Leigh brothers, tried to help him financially.

In the end, with his debts overwhelming him, he took his own life after making a final entry in his diary.