Edward Poynter

Key facts

Lived

1836–1919, British^[1]

Movement

• history painting

^[1]

Works held in

17 museums

Wikipedia

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• What is Edward Poynter known for?+

  Edward John Poynter is known for his historical paintings, especially Israel in Egypt. He also held many important institutional positions, such as Director of the National Gallery and President of the Royal Academy.
• What is Edward Poynter's most famous work?+

  Poynter is best known for his large historical paintings, particularly those depicting scenes from ancient history. One of his most recognised works is "Israel in Egypt", completed in 1867^[1]. This piece depicts enslaved Israelites building Egyptian cities. It established Poynter's reputation as a painter of historical subjects. Another highly regarded painting by Poynter is "The Visit to Aesculapius", finished in 1880. It presents a scene in the temple of Aesculapius, the Greek god of medicine. The painting is admired for its detailed depiction of classical architecture and figures. Poynter's "Queen of Sheba's Visit to King Solomon", exhibited in 1890, is also among his most famous works. This large painting is celebrated for its scale and elaborate detail. It illustrates the biblical story of the Queen of Sheba's visit to King Solomon's court, displaying the opulence and grandeur of the event. These paintings, among others, have cemented Poynter's place in the history of British^[1] art.
• What should I know about Edward Poynter's prints?+

  Edward Poynter (1836^[1]-1919^[1]) was part of a late wave of artists whose work was reproduced as fine-art prints. The Pre-Raphaelites and their circle recognised the popularity of prints and used them to promote their style to a wider audience. The fine-art etching was much admired, and from 1879^[1] onward, specialist publications were dedicated to the etching. In 1880, the Printsellers’ Association noted that they were not compelled to declare the number of proof impressions of etchings, so full details of editions are not always available. Edward Burne-Jones, a contemporary of Poynter, understood the difficulties of transferring painted images into line, colour into engraved tone. He believed that the etchings and mezzotints of his works could even improve the ethereal qualities of certain subjects he chose to paint; moreover, he probably saw the commercial potential for engravings at a time when interest in his paintings had begun to wane.
• What style or movement did Edward Poynter belong to?+

  Edward Poynter belonged to the academic art tradition. This system of artistic training reinforced history painting^[1], considered the most important form of artistic endeavour. The critic Jules Castagnary, writing in 1868^[1], defined history painting as excluding only still life and encompassing classical history, mythology, national events, military engagements, modern-life subjects, religious subjects, and portraits. Success for students at the École des Beaux-Arts meant winning the Prix de Rome. Subjects for the competition came from classical history, mythology, or the Bible. This meant students focused almost exclusively on specialised history painting. Official commissions for public buildings also involved historical subjects, either classical or episodes from French history, encouraged by Louis-Philippe. The pupils and admirers of Jacques-Louis David dominated the Neo-Classical school at the start of the nineteenth century. J.-A.-D. Ingres, the most important of these, influenced history painting. The Ingrist tradition persisted throughout the nineteenth century.
• What techniques or materials did Edward Poynter use?+

  Unfortunately, the provided texts do not contain specific information about the techniques and materials used by Edward Poynter. However, they do offer some broader context about painting techniques employed by British^[1] artists during the period in which Poynter worked (roughly 1850^[1] to 1920). The texts discuss the materials and methods of artists such as J.M.W. Turner, William Holman Hunt, and Paul Delaroche. These artists experimented with different oil painting techniques, pigments and supports. Turner, for example, used transparent washes in his watercolours, and carried this technique over into his oil painting. Hunt layered minute strokes of transparent and semi-transparent paint, and chose quality linen canvas. Delaroche painted a grisaille, then coloured it in. The texts also mention the use of megilp, amber colours, and copal resin as painting mediums. They also discuss the importance of using quality materials to ensure the longevity of artworks.
• What was Edward Poynter known for?+

  Edward Poynter (born in Birmingham, 1833; died in London, 1898^[1]) was a painter, illustrator, and designer associated with the second phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. His work displays the influence of early Italian Renaissance artists, such as Sandro Botticelli and Andrea Mantegna. Although not an original member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, his paintings share many ideas with those painters. Poynter's paintings often possess a mystical, spiritual quality, seen in his attention to detail. Poynter contributed illustrations to Archibald Maclaren’s *The Fairy Family* (1857) and to periodicals such as *Good Words* (1862-3), Mrs Gatty’s *Parables from Nature* (1865), and the Dalziels’ *Bible Gallery* (1880). He collaborated with William Morris on *The Earthly Paradise* and *The Story of Cupid and Psyche*, though the latter remained unpublished. Later, he worked with Morris at the Kelmscott Press, designing illustrations for publications including the Kelmscott *Chaucer* (1896). Examples of engravings after Poynter include *A Sibyl*, *The Birth of Galatea*, *Pan and Psyche*, and *King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid*.
• When did Edward Poynter live and work?+

  Edward Poynter (1836^[1]-1919^[1]) was active as a painter and designer during the second half of the 19th century. He is associated with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Poynter was born in Paris, France, on 20 March 1836^[1]. He received his artistic education in London, Rome, and Paris. Poynter's paintings often drew on classical antiquity and historical subjects. He also worked as an illustrator, contributing to publications such as the Dalziels’ Bible Gallery. He held important positions in the British^[1] art establishment, including Director of the National Art Training School and President of the Royal Academy. Poynter was elected as a Royal Academician (RA) in 1876 and knighted in 1896. He died in London on 22 December 1919.
• Where can I see Edward Poynter's work?+

  You can view Edward Poynter's work in several locations. In the United Kingdom, collections are held at the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery (Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton), Manchester Art Gallery (Mosley Street, Manchester), the National Museums of Scotland (Royal Museum, Chambers Street, Edinburgh), and the Victoria & Albert Museum (Cromwell Road, London). In the United States, you can find his paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Avenue, New York), the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles), the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art (445 North Park Avenue, Winter Park, FL), the Museum of Modern Art (11 West 53rd Street, New York), the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (200 N. Boulevard, Richmond), and the Wolfsonian at Florida International University (1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach). Other museums that hold his paintings are the Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queens Park, Toronto).
• Where was Edward Poynter from?+

  Edward Poynter was born in Paris, France, on 20 March 1836^[1]. His father, Ambrose Poynter, was an architect. Poynter was educated at Brighton College and Ipswich Grammar School, before studying art in London. He later studied in Paris, with Charles Gleyre. Poynter became known for history paintings and other large-scale compositions. He was elected as a member of the Royal Academy in 1876^[1] and served as its president from 1896 to 1918. He also became the Director of the National Art Training School (later the Royal College of Art) in 1875 and was the Director of the National Gallery from 1894 to 1904. Poynter was knighted in 1896 and made a baronet in 1902. He died in London on 22 December 1919^[1].
• Who did Edward Poynter influence?+

  Edward Poynter's influence can be seen in several late-19th and early-20th century artists who adopted aspects of the Pre-Raphaelite style. These artists often selected the more sentimental and romantic elements, combined with an Italianate aesthetic that appealed to the tastes of the period. Some artists who followed this path include Henry Holiday, who created works such as *Dante and Beatrice*, and John Melhuish Strudwick, known for mythological and allegorical subjects rendered in a linear style. Sir Frank Dicksee also helped bring the Pre-Raphaelite style into the 20th century. John William Waterhouse initially worked in a neoclassical style, but later incorporated Pre-Raphaelite elements. Albert Moore initially embraced Pre-Raphaelitism before transitioning to a more fashionable aestheticism, depicting classical figures in soft pastel colours. The Pre-Raphaelites also had an impact on illustrators like Laurence Housman and Charles Ricketts, who took Pre-Raphaelite illustration in new directions. They remain important figures in the Private Press movement, which produces limited editions of poetry and literature based upon Pre-Raphaelite principles of tasteful design.
• Who influenced Edward Poynter?+

  Edward Poynter, like many artists, drew influence from a range of sources and individuals. One can see the impact of earlier masters on his artistic development. Poynter, along with other artists, was searching for a guide. He admired many artists, but he sought something more than what they offered. He wanted art that could touch the hearts of living men, something more than mere prettiness or conventionality. He found inspiration in the works of Italian artists such as Francia and Ludovico Mazzolini, and he also admired the newly acquired Van Eyck, finding them profitable for youthful emulation. He observed the dandelion clock in Raphael's "St Catherine" and the flowers in Titian's "Bacchus and Ariadne", seeing them as examples of patient self-restraint. Poynter also studied prints, a practice shared by Pre-Raphaelites like Holman Hunt and Millais. Hunt copied prints as a child and later made commissioned copies at the British^[1] Museum. Millais based his earliest works on prints, using them to visualise entire scenes with all their details.
• Who was Edward Poynter?+

  Edward Poynter (born in Birmingham, 1833; died in London, 1898^[1]) was associated with the second phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. He trained at Oxford, where the writings of John Ruskin and the work of Dante Gabriel Rossetti influenced him. Poynter was a prolific painter who occasionally worked as an illustrator. His illustration projects include Archibald Maclaren’s *The Fairy Family* (1857), *Good Words* (1862-3), Mrs Gatty’s *Parables from Nature* (1865), and the Dalziels’ *Bible Gallery* (1880). He collaborated with William Morris on *The Earthly Paradise* and *The Story of Cupid and Psyche*, although these were never published. Later, he designed illustrations for publications from Morris’ Kelmscott Press, including the Kelmscott *Chaucer* (1896). His paintings often drew inspiration from Romantic literature, myths and medieval legends. Poynter joined the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and developed a distinctive style, combining Pre-Raphaelitism, Classicism and Italian Primitivism. In 1885, he was elected ARA, ARWS in 1886, and created baronet in 1894. He was a partner in Morris & Co. as a designer.