As the nobility had come to the studio of Sir Joshua Reynolds to have their portraits painted, so this generation sought Sir Edwin, to have portraits made of themselves, or to have their fine dogs immortalized by his brush.Īmong his greatest admirers was Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Here the world came to enjoy "one of the most charming of studios" and the company and talent of one of England’s most sought-after artists. John’s Wood Road, it became a popular gathering place. When he opened his studio and home at No. Landseer, as a conversationalist, was brilliant, humorous, and dramatic. The mountain and lake scenery impressed the artist so greatly that he travelled often in that country, thereafter. It was this trip to Scotland that engaged Landseer’s interest in the deer. In 1824, Landseer visited Sir Walter Scott at Abbotsford, and made many pictures of the poet and his dog. The president of the Academy even call him his "little dog boy." Possessing a charming appearance and a lovable disposition, he won the hearts of everyone. Landseer’s formal art training began when he entered the Academy at 15 years of age. All this study gave strength to his talent. He also did illustrations for children’s books. He went to the forests and zoos to find live animals. He studied the drawings of Raphael, and the Elgin marbles, which had recently been brought to England. This recognition greatly encouraged the boy.Īs he grew older, wherever he could find animals, there he went. His picture of a pointer bitch and puppy won the acclaim of the judges for being the first dog pictures since the time of Hogarth to show individuality and character. At the age of 13, two of his oil paintings were hung in the Royal Academy Exhibition in London. These early sketches are now preserved in South Kensington Museum, London. Before he was 12 years of age, he could paint in water colors and oil. When Landseer was only 11 years old, he was awarded a prize by the Society of Arts for the best drawing of animals. They took frequent walks into the fields, where they could talk about the things that they saw and make sketches of them. His father encouraged his art inclinations and spent much time with him. Here is an artist who found his greatest interest in animals, which he made the subject of most of his pictures.
The life of Sir Edwin Landseer has a special charm and story fascination. Many Americans can recall, with nostalgia, their first acquaintance with the reproductions of Landseer’s paintings as they were favorites with printmakers in America. It was a poor English household that did not have a copy of Landseer’s pictures on its walls.
Part of Landseer’s popularity was due to the fact that his brothers, as expert engravers, made many copies of his works, and thus it was possible for people of small means to afford them. He was also a well-known etcher and engraver to the King. Landseer’s father was a writer and lecturer on art subjects. His paintings not only helped popularize the breed, but created a fashion in that time for the white-and-blacks. Although it has been said that he painted the white-and-blacks because their coloring made a brighter picture, he is honored by having that variety named the Landseer Newfoundland.
Sir Edwin Landseer is the artist credited with making a powerful influence on the Newfoundland breed. Written by Eva Chapman, it remains interesting yet today.
This article was originally printed in the Fall 1981 issue of Newf Tide. Based on an article that appeared in Newf Tide written by Mary Jane Spackman
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