George Jones (painter)
Encyclopedia
George Jones was a British painter, and Keeper of the Royal Academy
, most famous for his paintings of military subjects.
engraver, he became a student at the Royal Academy
in 1801 at the early age of 15, exhibiting his first work depicting a biblical scene in 1803. He was a frequent exhibitor at the Royal Academy over the next eight years. He joined the Royal Montgomery Militia; the date of his commission as captain is given as 17 February 1812. There is a possibility that he had served in the South Devon Militia as far back as 1808. His obituary states that he volunteered for active service with his company in Spain, but he was certainly was part of the army of occupation in Paris after the Battle of Waterloo
. After the war he resumed his art career, winning prizes and fame for his paintings of military engagements. He was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1822, a full member in 1824, becoming its librarian, and from 1840 to 1850 its keeper.
It is said that he bore a strong resemblance to his hero, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
, and was sometimes mistaken for him.
He married Gertrude Anne Loscombe in 1844.
He died in Park Square, Regent's Park on 19 September 1869.
. The latter had also been a friend of the late General Sir John Moore
and was present at the death of the general at the Battle of Corunna
. Anderson commissioned Jones to paint the burial scene and possibly two companion pieces. The artist also painted a scene of the Battle of Vittoria which is now in the Royal Collection
.
Waterloo was particularly attractive to the artist and he exhibited no less than five paintings of the battle
at the Royal Academy
and six at the British Institution, earning the nickname 'Waterloo' Jones. His 1816 piece at the BI was for the competition for the best rendition of the battle, for which he won the second prize of 200 guineas. His presence in the latter stages of the campaign clearly helped him and he made numerous sketches of the battlefield and surroundings; some of these were used in a book entitled The Battle of Waterloo...By a Near Observer published in 1817. In 1829, Jones painted a large scene of Borodino
, while from the same year came his scene entitled Nelson boarding the 'San Josef' at St. Vincent.
, and following the victories in Scinde in 1842-43, William asked Jones to paint a scene in support of his brother who was being criticised for supposedly creating the war to further his own ambitions. Jones painted several scenes including the Battle of Meanee, the Battle of Hydrabad, the Battle of Trukee and the destruction of the fortress at Emaum Ghur.
in 1855 entitled The battle of the Alma
and Balaclava
1854 - conflict at the guns. Four years later, the artist submitted another picture entitled The Battle of Inkermann.
and Cawnpore
.
.
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...
, most famous for his paintings of military subjects.
Life and work
Jones was the only son of John Jones, a mezzotintMezzotint
Mezzotint is a printmaking process of the intaglio family, technically a drypoint method. It was the first tonal method to be used, enabling half-tones to be produced without using line- or dot-based techniques like hatching, cross-hatching or stipple...
engraver, he became a student at 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...
in 1801 at the early age of 15, exhibiting his first work depicting a biblical scene in 1803. He was a frequent exhibitor at the Royal Academy over the next eight years. He joined the Royal Montgomery Militia; the date of his commission as captain is given as 17 February 1812. There is a possibility that he had served in the South Devon Militia as far back as 1808. His obituary states that he volunteered for active service with his company in Spain, but he was certainly was part of the army of occupation in Paris after the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
. After the war he resumed his art career, winning prizes and fame for his paintings of military engagements. He was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1822, a full member in 1824, becoming its librarian, and from 1840 to 1850 its keeper.
It is said that he bore a strong resemblance to his hero, Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
, and was sometimes mistaken for him.
He married Gertrude Anne Loscombe in 1844.
He died in Park Square, Regent's Park on 19 September 1869.
Peninsular War Paintings
While it is unknown whether Jones went to Spain, he did make the acquaintance of Lieut. Gen. Paul Anderson, who had fought in the Peninsular WarPeninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
. The latter had also been a friend of the late General Sir John Moore
Sir John Moore
Sir John Moore may refer to:*Sir John Moore, 1st Baronet, British admiral *John Moore , British general...
and was present at the death of the general at the Battle of Corunna
Battle of Corunna
The Battle of Corunna refers to a battle of the Peninsular War. On January 16, 1809, a French army under Marshal Soult attacked the British under Sir John Moore...
. Anderson commissioned Jones to paint the burial scene and possibly two companion pieces. The artist also painted a scene of the Battle of Vittoria which is now in the Royal Collection
Royal Collection
The Royal Collection is the art collection of the British Royal Family. It is property of the monarch as sovereign, but is held in trust for her successors and the nation. It contains over 7,000 paintings, 40,000 watercolours and drawings, and about 150,000 old master prints, as well as historical...
.
Borodino and Waterloo Paintings
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
at 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...
and six at the British Institution, earning the nickname 'Waterloo' Jones. His 1816 piece at the BI was for the competition for the best rendition of the battle, for which he won the second prize of 200 guineas. His presence in the latter stages of the campaign clearly helped him and he made numerous sketches of the battlefield and surroundings; some of these were used in a book entitled The Battle of Waterloo...By a Near Observer published in 1817. In 1829, Jones painted a large scene of Borodino
Battle of Borodino
The Battle of Borodino , fought on September 7, 1812, was the largest and bloodiest single-day action of the French invasion of Russia and all Napoleonic Wars, involving more than 250,000 troops and resulting in at least 70,000 casualties...
, while from the same year came his scene entitled Nelson boarding the 'San Josef' at St. Vincent.
Scinde Campaign Paintings
Jones was friendly with William Napier, brother of General Sir Charles NapierCharles James Napier
General Sir Charles James Napier, GCB , was a general of the British Empire and the British Army's Commander-in-Chief in India, notable for conquering the Sindh Province in what is now Pakistan.- His genealogy :...
, and following the victories in Scinde in 1842-43, William asked Jones to paint a scene in support of his brother who was being criticised for supposedly creating the war to further his own ambitions. Jones painted several scenes including the Battle of Meanee, the Battle of Hydrabad, the Battle of Trukee and the destruction of the fortress at Emaum Ghur.
Crimean War Paintings
Naturally, the subject of the war in the Crimea appealed to Jones who exhibited two preliminary oil sketches at the Royal AcademyRoyal 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...
in 1855 entitled The battle of the Alma
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma , which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War , took place just south of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St...
and Balaclava
Battle of Balaclava
The Battle of Balaclava, fought on 25 October 1854 during the Crimean War, was part of the Anglo-French-Turkish campaign to capture the port and fortress of Sevastopol, Russia's principal naval base on the Black Sea...
1854 - conflict at the guns. Four years later, the artist submitted another picture entitled The Battle of Inkermann.
Indian Mutiny Paintings
Just as the Scinde paintings were created to celebrate a general, Jones painted several scenes of the Indian Mutiny to honor Sir Colin Campbell. The first piece was entitled Contest in the Raptee river between the 7th Hussars, commanded by Sir W. Russell, and the Sowars. His two major paintings depicted LucknowSiege of Lucknow
The Siege of Lucknow was the prolonged defense of the Residency within the city of Lucknow during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After two successive relief attempts had reached the city, the defenders and civilians were evacuated from the Residency, which was abandoned.Lucknow was the capital of...
and Cawnpore
Siege of Cawnpore
The Siege of Cawnpore was a key episode in the Indian rebellion of 1857. The besieged British in Cawnpore were unprepared for an extended siege and surrendered to rebel Indian forces under Nana Sahib, in return for a safe passage to Allahabad. However, under ambiguous circumstances, their...
.
Abyssinian Campaign
In the final year of his life, Jones produced a watercolor depicting The conquest and destruction of MagdalaBattle of Magdala
The Battle of Magdala was fought in April 1868 between British and Abyssinian forces at Magdala, from the Red Sea coast, which at that time was the capital city of Abyssinia...
.
Further reading
- Lee, Sidney (Ed.). Dictionary of national biography, volume 30 (1892) pp. 102–3.
- Harrington, Peter, "The Battle Paintings of George Jones, R.A. (1786-1869)," Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, Vol. LXVII, No. 272, Winter 1989, pp. 239–252.
- Harrington, Peter (1993). British Artists and War: The Face of Battle in Paintings and Prints, 1700-1914. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-157-6.
- Hichberger, Joany, "Captain Jones of the Royal Academy," Turner Studies, Vol. 3, No. 1, Summer 1983, pp. 14–20.