John Astley (painter)
Encyclopedia
John Astley was an English portrait painter
and amateur architect
, known for his "patronage among a vast circle of fashion" as well as a fortune acquired through marriage.
, John Astley was a son of an apothecary
, Richard Astley (1671 — 1754), and his wife, Margaret (1685 — 1735). Among his sibling was a brother Richard, also a physician, whose estate he inherited.
Due to his good looks, he was known as Beau Astley. Some period sources also call him Jack Astley. A biographer of Sir Joshua Reynolds
described Astley as "a gasconading spendthrift and a beau of the flashiest order".
Several jaundiced contemporary accounts of Astley's character exist, notably a lengthy observation by John Williams, (aka Anthony Pasquin), who wrote: "He thought that every advantage in civil society was compounded in women and wine: and, acting up to this principal of bliss, he gave his body to Euphrosyne, and his intellects to madness. He was as ostentatious as the peacock and as amorous as the Persian Sophi... he had a haram and a bath at the top of his house, replete with every enticement and blandishment to awaken desire; and thus lived, jocund and thoughtless, until his nerves were unstrung by age; when his spirits decayed with his animal powers, and he sighed and drooped into eternity!"
under the artist Thomas Hudson
. He later went to study in Rome and Florence in 1747 (one of his teachers was Pompeo Batoni
), before establishing his career during several years in Dublin, Ireland, and afterwards settling in England.
Of his work, the Biographical Dictionary of 1789 said, "The best pictures he ever painted were copies of the Bentivolios, and Titian
's Venus ...". Horace Walpole claimed Astley's prominence was based "on the peculiarity of his good fortune, rather than by his exertions as an artist ..." and added that "his estimated his profession only by his gains, and having obtained a fortune, treated all future study with contemptuous neglect". Among Astley's own students was the engraver and historical painter John Keyse Sherwin, while Cheshire portraitist Charles Hoyland, who reportedly studied in Rome with Astley, imitated his style.
The painter "had much talent, particularly in portraits", wrote Samuel Redgrave in his 1878 dictionary of English artists. "His color was agreeable, the composition original, drawing fair, but the finish slight, and character and expression weak.
To Sir Horace Mann, 1st Baronet
, an Astley admirer and subject, Horace Walpole wrote of a visit to one of Astley's exhibitions in 1752, declaring, "I confess myself a little prejudiced, for he has drawn the whole Pigwigginhood: but he has got too much into the style of the four thousand English painters about town, and is so intolerable as to work for money, not for fame: in short, he is not such a Rubens, as in your head".
Among John Astley's sitters were:
Astley also painted a portrait of William Shakespeare
, which, as reported in the December 1787 issue of the European Magazine, the artist Gilbert Stuart
called "far preferable to the famous head in the collection of the Duke of Chandos
". A gallery of some of Astley's works is on WikiGallery.org.http://www.wikigallery.org/wiki/artist63918/%28after%29-John-Astley/page-1
Some sources state that Astley gave up painting after his 1759 second marriage, to the wealthy widow, but a contemporary account indicates that he continued to work after that union: "Beau Astley has contributed half-a-dozen phizes [faces], which, he tells me, he painted for fun; the better luck, so much for being a squire". Another source states that Astley, although now rich, continued to accept commissions and charged a steep "20 guineas
, the usual price".
, built for the third Duke of Schomberg
and which Astley owned and used as his London residence.http://www.flickr.com/photos/hisgett/5126920538/lightbox/
"In the structure and decoration of small buildings, rich as the time is in architecture, Astley's architecture was pre-eminent: [Schomberg House in] Pall Mall
is one instance; Lady Archer's saloon and conservatory [on The Terrace] at Barnes is another; Duckinfield [Lodge] is yet finer than either. The saloon, the loggio [sic] in front, the chamber on each side, and the great octagon, all are as exquisite as original, from their first idea to their last". Of Dukinfield Lodge, which Astley completed in 1775 (demolished 1948), one element was especially admired: "The most interesting room is octagon in form; it is decorated by stained glass, and here was a portion of the valuable collection of pictures acquired by the two Astleys, father and son [Frank Dukinfield Astley]".http://www.tameside.gov.uk/buildings/dukinfieldth/reopening/chronology A 1795 description of Dukinfield Lodge describes it as containing "a fine octagon room with painted windows. Most of the others are small, but elegant, and are decorated with pictures chiefly by the hand of Mr Astley, who had been a painter by profession. The whole building was never finished".http://tamesidefamilyhistory.co.uk/dukinfield.htm
Astley also remodeled Elm Bank, his house in Barnes, which became the home and studio of designer Christopher Dresser
in 1889.http://designmuseum.org/design/christopher-dresser
A chalk portrait of Astley, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, is at:
Portrait painting
Portrait painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to depict the visual appearance of the subject. Beside human beings, animals, pets and even inanimate objects can be chosen as the subject for a portrait...
and amateur architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, known for his "patronage among a vast circle of fashion" as well as a fortune acquired through marriage.
Early life
Born in Wem, Shropshire, EnglandWem
Wem is a small market town in Shropshire, England. It is the administrative centre for the northern area committee of Shropshire Council, which has its headquarters at Edinburgh House in the centre of Wem. Wem railway station is on the Shrewsbury to Crewe railway line...
, John Astley was a son of an apothecary
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....
, Richard Astley (1671 — 1754), and his wife, Margaret (1685 — 1735). Among his sibling was a brother Richard, also a physician, whose estate he inherited.
Due to his good looks, he was known as Beau Astley. Some period sources also call him Jack Astley. A biographer of Sir Joshua Reynolds
Joshua Reynolds
Sir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA was an influential 18th-century English painter, specialising in portraits and promoting the "Grand Style" in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. He was one of the founders and first President of the Royal Academy...
described Astley as "a gasconading spendthrift and a beau of the flashiest order".
Several jaundiced contemporary accounts of Astley's character exist, notably a lengthy observation by John Williams, (aka Anthony Pasquin), who wrote: "He thought that every advantage in civil society was compounded in women and wine: and, acting up to this principal of bliss, he gave his body to Euphrosyne, and his intellects to madness. He was as ostentatious as the peacock and as amorous as the Persian Sophi... he had a haram and a bath at the top of his house, replete with every enticement and blandishment to awaken desire; and thus lived, jocund and thoughtless, until his nerves were unstrung by age; when his spirits decayed with his animal powers, and he sighed and drooped into eternity!"
Career as painter
In London, in the 1740s, Astley studied with Joshua ReynoldsJoshua Reynolds
Sir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA was an influential 18th-century English painter, specialising in portraits and promoting the "Grand Style" in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. He was one of the founders and first President of the Royal Academy...
under the artist Thomas Hudson
Thomas Hudson (painter)
Thomas Hudson was an English portrait painter in the 18th century. He was born in 1701 in the West Country of the United Kingdom. His exact birthplace is unknown...
. He later went to study in Rome and Florence in 1747 (one of his teachers was Pompeo Batoni
Pompeo Batoni
Pompeo Girolamo Batoni was an Italian painter whose style incorporated elements of the French Rococo, Bolognese classicism, and nascent Neoclassicism.-Biography:He was born in Lucca, the son of a goldsmith, Paolino Batoni...
), before establishing his career during several years in Dublin, Ireland, and afterwards settling in England.
Of his work, the Biographical Dictionary of 1789 said, "The best pictures he ever painted were copies of the Bentivolios, and Titian
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
's Venus ...". Horace Walpole claimed Astley's prominence was based "on the peculiarity of his good fortune, rather than by his exertions as an artist ..." and added that "his estimated his profession only by his gains, and having obtained a fortune, treated all future study with contemptuous neglect". Among Astley's own students was the engraver and historical painter John Keyse Sherwin, while Cheshire portraitist Charles Hoyland, who reportedly studied in Rome with Astley, imitated his style.
The painter "had much talent, particularly in portraits", wrote Samuel Redgrave in his 1878 dictionary of English artists. "His color was agreeable, the composition original, drawing fair, but the finish slight, and character and expression weak.
To Sir Horace Mann, 1st Baronet
Sir Horace Mann, 1st Baronet
Sir Horace Mann, 1st Baronet KB , diplomat, was a long standing British resident in Florence.-Biography:...
, an Astley admirer and subject, Horace Walpole wrote of a visit to one of Astley's exhibitions in 1752, declaring, "I confess myself a little prejudiced, for he has drawn the whole Pigwigginhood: but he has got too much into the style of the four thousand English painters about town, and is so intolerable as to work for money, not for fame: in short, he is not such a Rubens, as in your head".
Among John Astley's sitters were:
- the artist Sir Joshua ReynoldsJoshua ReynoldsSir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA was an influential 18th-century English painter, specialising in portraits and promoting the "Grand Style" in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. He was one of the founders and first President of the Royal Academy...
- architect Benjamin LatrobeBenjamin LatrobeBenjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe was a British-born American neoclassical architect best known for his design of the United States Capitol, along with his work on the Baltimore Basilica, the first Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States...
http://nishi.slv.vic.gov.au/latrobejournal/issue/latrobe-71/t1-g-t3.html - Lady Dukinfield Daniel, who became the artist's second wife
- Sir Thomas Sebright, 5th baronetSebright BaronetsThe Sebright Baronetcy, of Besford in the County of Worcester, is a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 20 December 1626 for Edward Sebright, High Sheriff of Worcestershire who later fought as a Royalist in the Civil War. The fourth Baronet sat as Member of Parliament for...
- Sir Horace MannSir Horace Mann, 1st BaronetSir Horace Mann, 1st Baronet KB , diplomat, was a long standing British resident in Florence.-Biography:...
(the 1751 pastel portrait was owned by Horace Walpole) - Marcus Beresford, 1st Earl of TyroneMarcus Beresford, 1st Earl of TyroneMarcus Beresford, 1st Earl of Tyrone , known as Sir Marcus Beresford, 4th Baronet until 1720 and subsequently as The Viscount Tyrone until 1746, was an Irish peer, freemason and politician.-Background:...
, his wife, and daughter, in a group portrait - Peter John Fremeauxhttp://www.dorotheum.com/en/auction-detail/auction-8843-old-master-paintings/lot-1095552-john-astley-london-17241787.html
- Sir Capel MolyneuxSir Capel Molyneux, 3rd BaronetSir Capel Molyneux, 3rd Baronet PC was an Irish politician.Capel was the son of Sir Thomas Molyneux, 1st Baronet and Catherine Howard...
and his children, in a group portrait (1758, now in the collection of the Ulster Museum in Belfast) - Rev. Thomas Alleyne of All Saints Church, LoughboroughAll Saints Church, LoughboroughAll Saints Church, officially All Saints with Holy Trinity is the Church of England parish church of the town of Loughborough, Leicestershire within the Diocese of Leicester.- History :...
- Mary Woodyeare, third wife of Hon. Morgan Vane and a daughter-in-law of 2nd Baron BarnardBaron BarnardBaron Barnard, of Barnard Castle in the Bishopric of Durham, is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1698 for Sir Christopher Vane, who had previously served as a Member of Parliament for County Durham and Boroughbridge. Vane was the son of Sir Henry Vane the Younger and grandson of...
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/LotDetailsPrintable.aspx?intObjectID=3085186 - Mary Weston (portrait attributed to Astley)http://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/john-astley,-1724-1787-ar7xwhuytu-0-m-rurf5c5ekq
- Colonel Thomas Pepper (now in the collection of the Trinity Art Research enter, Crookshank-Glin Collection)
Astley also painted a portrait of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
, which, as reported in the December 1787 issue of the European Magazine, the artist Gilbert Stuart
Gilbert Stuart
Gilbert Charles Stuart was an American painter from Rhode Island.Gilbert Stuart is widely considered to be one of America's foremost portraitists...
called "far preferable to the famous head in the collection of the Duke of Chandos
James Brydges, 3rd Duke of Chandos
James Brydges, 3rd Duke of Chandos PC , styled Marquess of Carnarvon from 1744 to 1771, was a British peer and politician.-Background:...
". A gallery of some of Astley's works is on WikiGallery.org.http://www.wikigallery.org/wiki/artist63918/%28after%29-John-Astley/page-1
Some sources state that Astley gave up painting after his 1759 second marriage, to the wealthy widow, but a contemporary account indicates that he continued to work after that union: "Beau Astley has contributed half-a-dozen phizes [faces], which, he tells me, he painted for fun; the better luck, so much for being a squire". Another source states that Astley, although now rich, continued to accept commissions and charged a steep "20 guineas
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
, the usual price".
Career as amateur architect
According to a British weekly, Somerset House Gazette, and Literary Museum, Astley was also well known for his alterations to several residences, among them, Schomberg HouseSchomberg House
Schomberg House is a mansion on the south side of Pall Mall in central London which has a colourful history. Only the street facade survives today. It was built for Meinhardt Schomberg, 3rd Duke of Schomberg, a Huguenot general in the service of the British crown...
, built for the third Duke of Schomberg
Meinhardt Schomberg, 3rd Duke of Schomberg
Meinhardt Schomberg, 3rd Duke of Schomberg, 1st Duke of Leinster, KG was a general in the service of Prince William of Orange, later King William III of England.-Military career:...
and which Astley owned and used as his London residence.http://www.flickr.com/photos/hisgett/5126920538/lightbox/
"In the structure and decoration of small buildings, rich as the time is in architecture, Astley's architecture was pre-eminent: [Schomberg House in] Pall Mall
Pall Mall
-Places:* Pall Mall, urban downtown ares of Bendigo, Australia* Pall Mall, London, a street in the City of Westminster, London* Pall Mall, Tennessee, a small unincorporated community in Fentress County, Tennessee...
is one instance; Lady Archer's saloon and conservatory [on The Terrace] at Barnes is another; Duckinfield [Lodge] is yet finer than either. The saloon, the loggio [sic] in front, the chamber on each side, and the great octagon, all are as exquisite as original, from their first idea to their last". Of Dukinfield Lodge, which Astley completed in 1775 (demolished 1948), one element was especially admired: "The most interesting room is octagon in form; it is decorated by stained glass, and here was a portion of the valuable collection of pictures acquired by the two Astleys, father and son [Frank Dukinfield Astley]".http://www.tameside.gov.uk/buildings/dukinfieldth/reopening/chronology A 1795 description of Dukinfield Lodge describes it as containing "a fine octagon room with painted windows. Most of the others are small, but elegant, and are decorated with pictures chiefly by the hand of Mr Astley, who had been a painter by profession. The whole building was never finished".http://tamesidefamilyhistory.co.uk/dukinfield.htm
Astley also remodeled Elm Bank, his house in Barnes, which became the home and studio of designer Christopher Dresser
Christopher Dresser
Christopher Dresser was an English designer and design theorist, now widely known as one of the first and most important, independent, designers and was a pivotal figure in the Aesthetic Movement, and a major contributor to the allied Anglo-Japanese branch of the Movement; both originated in...
in 1889.http://designmuseum.org/design/christopher-dresser
Marriages
Called "a ladykiller of the first water", John Astley married three times:"Ladykiller" cited in William B. Boulton, Thomas Gainsborough: His Life, Work, Friends, and Sitters (Kessinger, 2006), page 194- By his first wife, "an Irish lady ... who died giving birth," he had a daughter, Sophia (1749 — 1831). She became mistress of George Hyde Clarke, a prominent landowner in CheshireCheshireCheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
and JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, and bore him two sons. One of these sons, therefore John's grandson, is an ancestor of British Olympic competetor Sebastian Coe. In 1792 she married a Frenchman, Louis Foncier, and had further issue.
- Penelope Dukinfield Daniel (1722 — 1762), widow of Sir William Dukinfield Daniel, 3rd baronet, and a daughter of Henry Vernon. Shortly after the death of her husband, she met Astley at an assemblyAssembly roomsIn Great Britain and Ireland, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, assembly rooms were gathering places for members of the higher social classes open to members of both sexes. At that time most entertaining was done at home and there were few public places of entertainment open to both sexes...
in KnutsfordKnutsfordKnutsford is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, in North West England...
and was so struck by his appearance that she "contrived the next day to sit for her portrait and the week later, she gave him the original". They married on 7 December 1759, in Rosthern, Cheshire, England, soon after their meeting, and she died in 1762. By this marriage Astley had a stepdaughter, Henrietta (died 1771), and upon the death of his wife he became the owner of the Dukinfield and Daniel estates, including Gorse HallGorse HallGorse Hall was the name given to two large houses in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester, England, on a hill bordering Dukinfield. The first house, Old Gorse Hall, can be traced back to the 17th century and it probably dates from before this. Its ruins can still be seen...
. The death of his stepdaughter, who had been judged insane, brought him even more money, leading one critic to write, "He owed his fortune to his form; his follies to his fortune!"
- Mary Wagstaffe (1760/1 — 18 February 1832), "a celebrated young beauty" and a daughter of William Wagstaffe, a wealthy surgeon of Manchester. They married in 1777 and had five children: Harriet (1779 — 1858), Maria (born 1780), Cordelia Emma (born 1783), John William (1785 — 1823), and Francis Dukinfield Astley (1781 — 1825), poet and High Sheriff of Cheshire. One of three sisters known as "the ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
Beauties", Mary Astley married, on 28 January 1793, at Dukinfield Lodge, as her second husband, lawyer William Robert Hay (1761 — 1839), and had further issue. He later became Vicar of Rochdale and PrebendaryPrebendaryA prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of YorkYorkYork is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, and was a son of Lord Edward Hay, governor of BarbadosBarbadosBarbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
and ambassador to LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
; a nephew of Robert Hay DrummondRobert Hay DrummondRobert Hay , known later as Robert Hay-Drummond of Cromlix and Innerpeffray, was Archbishop of York from 1761 to 1776.-Origins and birth:...
, Archbishop of York; and a grandson of the 8th Earl of KinnoullGeorge Hay, 8th Earl of KinnoullGeorge Henry Hay, 8th Earl of Kinnoull was a British peer and diplomat.He was the son of Thomas Hay, 7th Earl of Kinnoull....
.http://tamesidefamilyhistory.co.uk/dukinfield.htm
Philanthrophy
Astley donated land and money for causes to improve the town of Dukinfield. He contributed land for the library and to Astley Grammar school as well as helping with restoring churches.Burial
John Astley died on 14 November 1787, at Dukinfield Lodge, and is interred at the Old Chapel in Dukinfield.http://www.tameside.gov.uk/buildings/dukinfieldth/reopening/chronologyPaintings
Works by Astley can be found at:- Trinity College Dublin, Crookshank-Glin collection
- National Portrait Gallery (London)
- Yale Library, Lewis Walpole Library (British Art Collection)
- Ulster MuseumUlster MuseumThe Ulster Museum, located in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 8,000 square metres of public display space, featuring material from the collections of fine art and applied art, archaeology, ethnography, treasures from the Spanish Armada, local history, numismatics, industrial...
, Belfast, Northern Ireland
A chalk portrait of Astley, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, is at:
- Print Room, The British Museum, London, England
Further reading
- Mary Webster, "John Astley: Artist and Beau," Connoisseur 172 (December 1969), p. 256