Edward John Poynter

{"Id":311,"Name":"Edward John Poynter","Biography":"Early in his career Poynter studied in Rome, where he met \u003Ca href=\u0022/asp/database/art.asp?aid=14\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EFrederic Leighton\u003C/a\u003E, his greatest single artistic influence. He then moved to Paris in 1855. On returning to London, he became involved on book illustration. In 1865 he produced his first really successful picture, \u003Cu\u003EFaithful Unto Death\u003C/u\u003E, a Roman sentry staying at his post in Pompeii as Vesuvius overwhelmed the city. This dramatic painting was probably never bettered by Poynter throughout his whole long career. Poynter became an Associate of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http://www.speel.demon.co.uk/royacad.htm\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003ERoyal Academy\u003C/a\u003E in 1869, at an unusually early age. Much of the rest of his life was devoted to the Academy, he was hardworking, conscientious, and a competent administrator.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPoynter married Agnes MacDonald, the sister of \u003Ca href=\u0022/asp/database/art.asp?aid=72\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EBurne-Jones\u0027\u003C/a\u003E wife Georgiana. Burne-Jones disliked Poynter, who was an unsympathetic, brusque character. When Leighton died in 1896, he was succeeded as \u003Ca href=\u0022http://www.speel.demon.co.uk/pra.htm\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EPresident\u003C/a\u003E of the Royal Academy by \u003Ca href=\u0022/asp/database/art.asp?aid=77\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EMillais\u003C/a\u003E, who was suffering from cancer of the throat. On the death of Millais a few months later, Poynter succeeded him, narrowly defeating \u003Ca href=\u0022/asp/database/art.asp?aid=419\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EBriton Riviere\u003C/a\u003E in the vote. He was PRA for the next two decades.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFrom the turn of the century Poynter\u0027s paintings declined both in numbers and standard, his main priority being the running of the Academy. He lived to see the death of classicism, and the total eclipse of his own artistic standards, and those of his contemporaries. He adopted the approach of ignoring new developments of which he did not approve. Unhappily Poynter outstayed his welcome. One of the last duties of the eighty one year old PRA, was to attend the funeral of \u003Ca href=\u0022/asp/database/art.asp?aid=79\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EJ.W. Waterhouse\u003C/a\u003E. There was, though, something splendid about the way he remained consistent to the last, resisting what he saw as the corruption, and denigration of all that was beautiful in art. He may even have been right.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EFurther Reading:\u003C/u\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http://www.artrenewal.org/articles/2002/Edward_Poynter/obituary1.asp\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003ESir Edward Poynter\u0027s Obituary\u003C/a\u003E in \u003Cu\u003EThe Times\u003C/u\u003E, Monday 28th July, 1919. Our thanks go to Paul Ripley, who also supplied his own thoughts on the obituary.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003EBibliography:\u003C/u\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBiography reprinted with the kind permission of Paul Ripley, editor of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http://www.victorianartinbritain.co.uk/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EVictorian Art in Britain\u003C/a\u003E website.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChristoper Wood, world renowned art historian specializing in the Victorian artists, wrote in to share some fascinating biographical facts with us:\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThere is a book on the four Macdonald sisters: \u003Cu\u003EA Circle of Sisters\u003C/u\u003E by Judith Flanders.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThey all made remarkable marriages - one married Burne-Jones, another Poynter, another John Kipling (father of Rudyard), and the fourth married Alfred Baldwin, and was mother of Stanley Baldwin.\u003Cp\u003E","Awards":null,"HasAlbums":true,"HasPortraits":true,"HasRelationships":true,"HasArticles":false,"HasDepictedPlaces":true,"HasLetters":true,"HasLibraryItems":false,"HasProducts":true,"HasSignatures":false,"HasVideos":false,"HasMapLocations":true,"TotalArtworks":137}