Charles Alfred Stothard
Encyclopedia
Charles Alfred Stothard was an antiquarian
draughtsman.
Stothard was born in London
, the son of the painter, Thomas Stothard
. After studying in the schools of the Royal Academy
, he began, in 1810, his first historical picture, the Death of Richard II
in Pomfret
Castle. In 1811, he published the first part of his valuable work, The Monumental Effigies of Great Britain.
He was appointed historical draughtsman to the Society of Antiquaries
, and was deputed by that body to visit Bayeux
to make coloured drawings of the tapestry
for publication in the series Vetusta Monumenta
. He was made a fellow of the society in 1819, and subsequently engaged in numerous journeys with the view of illustrating the works of Daniel Lysons
.
, with the assistance of her brother, completed his Monumental Effigies, left unfinished at his death. She also published a biography of Stothard in 1823. The Monumental Effigies of Great Britain; selected from our cathedrals and churches for the purpose of bringing together, and preserving correct representations of the best historical illustrations extant, from the Norman Conquest to the reign of Henry the Eighth was published in 12 parts between 1811 and 1817, together forming two folio volumes. Alfred John Kempe added text in 1832 and John Hewitt issued an enlarged edition in 1876.
, Devon
, he fell off a ladder and died. His grave is at Bere Ferrers. A later fellow antiquarian, W. H. Hamilton Rogers, who also made studies of the Ferrers family in the same church, wrote 70 years later:
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
draughtsman.
Stothard was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the son of the painter, Thomas Stothard
Thomas Stothard
Thomas Stothard was an English painter, illustrator and engraver.-Life and work:Stothard was born in London, the son of a well-to-do innkeeper in Long Acre, London. A delicate child, he was sent at the age of five to a relative in Yorkshire, and attended school at Acomb, and afterwards at...
. After studying in the schools of the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
, he began, in 1810, his first historical picture, the Death of Richard II
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
in Pomfret
Pontefract
Pontefract is an historic market town in West Yorkshire, England. Traditionally in the West Riding, near the A1 , the M62 motorway and Castleford. It is one of the five towns in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield and has a population of 28,250...
Castle. In 1811, he published the first part of his valuable work, The Monumental Effigies of Great Britain.
He was appointed historical draughtsman to the Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
, and was deputed by that body to visit Bayeux
Bayeux
Bayeux is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy in northwestern France.Bayeux is the home of the Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England.-Administration:Bayeux is a sub-prefecture of Calvados...
to make coloured drawings of the tapestry
Bayeux Tapestry
The Bayeux Tapestry is an embroidered cloth—not an actual tapestry—nearly long, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy and Harold, Earl of Wessex, later King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings...
for publication in the series Vetusta Monumenta
Vetusta Monumenta
Vetusta Monumenta is the title of a published series of illustrated antiquarian papers on ancient buildings, sites, and artefacts, mostly those of Britain, published at irregular intervals between 1718 and 1906 by the Society of Antiquaries of London...
. He was made a fellow of the society in 1819, and subsequently engaged in numerous journeys with the view of illustrating the works of Daniel Lysons
Daniel Lysons
Daniel Lysons was a notable English antiquary and topographer of the late 18th and early 19th century, who published the four-volume The Environs of London ....
.
Literature
His widow, Anna Eliza BrayAnna Eliza Bray
Anna Eliza Bray was a British novelist.Anna Eliza Kempe was born in the parish of Newington, Surrey, on 25 Dec. 1790, to John Kempe, bullion porter in the Mint, and Ann, daughter of James Arrow of Westminster. Kempe planned to be an actress, and her public appearance at the Bath Theatre was duly...
, with the assistance of her brother, completed his Monumental Effigies, left unfinished at his death. She also published a biography of Stothard in 1823. The Monumental Effigies of Great Britain; selected from our cathedrals and churches for the purpose of bringing together, and preserving correct representations of the best historical illustrations extant, from the Norman Conquest to the reign of Henry the Eighth was published in 12 parts between 1811 and 1817, together forming two folio volumes. Alfred John Kempe added text in 1832 and John Hewitt issued an enlarged edition in 1876.
Death & burial
While engaged in tracing a portrait from one of the windows of the church of Bere FerrersBere Ferrers
Bere Ferrers, sometimes called Beerferris, is a village and civil parish on the Bere peninsula in West Devon in the English county of Devon. It has a population of 3,066, and is located to the north of Plymouth, on the west bank of the River Tavy...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, he fell off a ladder and died. His grave is at Bere Ferrers. A later fellow antiquarian, W. H. Hamilton Rogers, who also made studies of the Ferrers family in the same church, wrote 70 years later:
"A gifted student in the pursuit we also at humbler distance love, made pilgrimage here, and was engaged in making a drawing of its interesting painted story, when death suddenly stayed the work of the artist, snapping the very pencil in his fingers, and instantly translated him, from picturing the earthly image of the Founder of these courts below, into his immortal presence in the great temple above... His cunning fingers are mouldering in the dust below, and moss and decay are stealthily obliterating his record outside, but the fidelity and truth of his works remain bright and undimmmed, forming his best and most enduring monument".