Edward John Poynter was an English painter, designer and draughtsman. He was born in Paris, where his parents - the famous architect Ambrose Poynter and his wife Emma - lived since 1830. Soon after Edward's birth, the young family moved back to England. Here Edward attended Brighton College and the Ipswich School, but broke off his school education prematurely for health reasons. Young Edward did not spend the winter months in dingy and damp London, but on Madeira and in Rome. There he met the English painter, draughtsman and sculptor Frederic Leighton in 1853 and was very impressed by him. After his return to London, Poynter studied at Leigh's Academy and the Royal Academy. He then returned to Paris to study in Charles Gleyre's studio, where James Abbott McNeill Whistler and George du Maurier were among his fellow students.
In 1866 Poynter married Agnes MacDonald, and so he became the brother-in-law of the painter Edward Burne Jones. The later writer and Nobel Prize winner Rudyard Kipling and the future three-time British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin were his nephews.
Poynter became known above all for his large-format history paintings such as his first major success "Israel In Egypt" from 1867 or "King Solomon" from 1890. Apart from being a painter, he was also increasingly active as a teacher and functionary in the art world of his time. He was the first professor at the Slade School Of Art in London, where Henry Scott Tuke was one of his students. He was head of the Royal Collage Of Art and director of the National Gallery, where he was responsible for the opening of the Tate Gallery. In 1896 he became president of the Royal Academy. In the same year he was also knighted.
Due to his numerous and time-consuming academic activities, Poynter painted less and less towards the end of the 19th century, and classicism became less and less important in the world of art. He could not and would not keep up with the new developments in painting. Poynter died in 1919. He is buried in St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
Edward John Poynter was an English painter, designer and draughtsman. He was born in Paris, where his parents - the famous architect Ambrose Poynter and his wife Emma - lived since 1830. Soon after Edward's birth, the young family moved back to England. Here Edward attended Brighton College and the Ipswich School, but broke off his school education prematurely for health reasons. Young Edward did not spend the winter months in dingy and damp London, but on Madeira and in Rome. There he met the English painter, draughtsman and sculptor Frederic Leighton in 1853 and was very impressed by him. After his return to London, Poynter studied at Leigh's Academy and the Royal Academy. He then returned to Paris to study in Charles Gleyre's studio, where James Abbott McNeill Whistler and George du Maurier were among his fellow students.
In 1866 Poynter married Agnes MacDonald, and so he became the brother-in-law of the painter Edward Burne Jones. The later writer and Nobel Prize winner Rudyard Kipling and the future three-time British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin were his nephews.
Poynter became known above all for his large-format history paintings such as his first major success "Israel In Egypt" from 1867 or "King Solomon" from 1890. Apart from being a painter, he was also increasingly active as a teacher and functionary in the art world of his time. He was the first professor at the Slade School Of Art in London, where Henry Scott Tuke was one of his students. He was head of the Royal Collage Of Art and director of the National Gallery, where he was responsible for the opening of the Tate Gallery. In 1896 he became president of the Royal Academy. In the same year he was also knighted.
Due to his numerous and time-consuming academic activities, Poynter painted less and less towards the end of the 19th century, and classicism became less and less important in the world of art. He could not and would not keep up with the new developments in painting. Poynter died in 1919. He is buried in St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
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