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Sir Martin Archer Shee PRA was an Irish portrait painter and president of the Royal Academy.
He was born in Dublin, of an old Catholic Irish family, and his father Martin Shee, a merchant, regarded the profession of a painter as an unsuitable occupation for a descendant of the Shees. Martin Shee nevertheless studied art in the Royal Dublin Society and came to London. There, in 1788, he was introduced by Edmund Burke to Joshua Reynolds, on whose advice he studied in the schools of the Royal Academy. In 1789 he exhibited his first two pictures, the "Head of an Old Man" and "Portrait of a Gentleman." Over the next ten years he steadily increased in practice. He was chosen an associate of the Royal Academy in 1798, in 1789 he married Mary, eldest daughter of James Power of Youghal, and in 1800 he was elected a Royal Academician. He moved to George Romney's former house in Cavendish Square, and set up as his successor.
Shee continued to paint with great readiness of hand and fertility of invention, although his portraits were eclipsed by more than one of his contemporaries, and especially by Thomas Lawrence. The earlier portraits of the artist are carefully finished, easy in action, with good drawing and excellent discrimination of character. They show an undue tendency to redness in the flesh painting—a defect which is still more apparent in his later works, 'in which the handling is less "square," crisp and forcible. In addition to his portraits he executed various subjects and historical works, such as Lavinia, Belisarius, his diploma picture "Prospero and Miranda", and the "Daughter of Jephthah."
In 1805 he published a poem consisting of Rhymes on Art, and a second part followed in 1809. Lord Byron spoke well of it in his English Bards and Scotch Reviewers. Shee published another small volume of verse in 1814, entitled The Commemoration of Sir Joshua Reynolds, and other Poems, but this was less successful. He also produced a tragedy, Alasco, set in Poland. The play was accepted at Covent Garden, but was refused a licence, on the grounds that it contained treasonable allusions, and Shee angrily resolved to make his appeal to the public. He carried out his threat in 1824, but Alasco was still on the list of unacted dramas in 1911. He also published two novels – "Oldcourt" (1829, in 3 volumes) and "Cecil Hyde" (1834).
On the death of Sir Thomas Lawrence in 1830, Shee was chosen president of the Royal Academy in his stead and shortly afterwards received a knighthood. In 1831 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. In an examination before the parliamentary committee of 1836 concerning the functions of the Royal Academy, he ably defended its rights. He continued to paint till 1845, when illness made him retire to Brighton. He was deputised for at the Academy by J. M. W. Turner, who had appointed him a trustee of the projected Turner almshouse.
From 1842–1849, he was the first president of the Birmingham Society of Artists.
He died in Brighton in 1850 and was buried in the western extension to St Nicholas' Churchyard in Brighton. His headstone remains, but has been laid flat and moved to the perimeter of the site.
Shee had three sons, who became successful barristers, and three daughters. Descendants of one of the sons was George Archer-Shee, whose story inspired The Winslow Boy, a play written by Terence Rattigan and his older half-brother Martin Archer-Shee MP. Shee's descendant Mary Archer-Shee supports the campaign for the fulfilment of Turner's wishes for his bequests.
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Early Life and Education
Martin Archer Shee, a prominent Irish portrait painter, was born on December 23, 1769, in Dublin, Ireland. His father, Martin Shee, a merchant, initially disapproved of his son's desire to pursue a career in painting, considering it an unsuitable occupation for a descendant of the Shees. However, Martin Shee's passion for art prevailed, and he went on to study at the Royal Dublin Society.
Artistic Career
Shee's artistic journey began in 1788 when he was introduced to Joshua Reynolds, a renowned artist, by Edmund Burke. This meeting led to Shee's enrollment in the Royal Academy's schools. In 1789, he exhibited his first two paintings, "Head of an Old Man" and "Portrait of a Gentleman," marking the beginning of his successful career.
Shee was elected as an associate of the Royal Academy in 1798 and became a full member in 1800. He also served as the president of the Royal Academy from 1830 until his death in 1850.
Notable Works and Exhibitions
Some of Shee's notable works include:
- Belisarius (128 x 102 cm, Oil On Canvas, Royal Academy of Arts, United Kingdom)
- Queen Victoria (1819-1901) (270 x 178 cm, Oil On Canvas, Royal Academy of Arts, United Kingdom)
- George IV (1762-1830) (after Thomas Lawrence) (275 x 184 cm, Oil On Canvas, Royal Academy of Arts, United Kingdom)
These paintings are now part of the Royal Academy of Arts collection in the United Kingdom.
Legacy and Personal Life
Shee married Mary, the eldest daughter of James Power of Youghal, in 1789. He had three sons who became successful barristers and three daughters. Shee's descendants include George Archer-Shee, whose story inspired the play "The Winslow Boy" by Terence Rattigan.
Shee passed away on August 13, 1850, in Brighton, and was buried in the western extension of St Nicholas' Churchyard. His headstone remains, but has been laid flat and moved to the perimeter of the site.
- View more works by Sir Martin Archer Shee at https://WahooArt.com/@/Sir-Martin-Archer-Shee
- Explore the Royal Academy of Arts collection at https://WahooArt.com/Art.nsf/O/A@D3CF6H
- Learn more about Shee's life and works on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Archer_Shee
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