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Benjamin Robert Haydon

Benjamin Robert Haydon (26 January 1786 – 22 June 1846) was a British painter who specialized in grand historical pictures depicting biblical, classical, and heroic themes.^[1]^[2]
Inspired by the Renaissance masters and Sir Joshua Reynolds's advocacy for elevated art, Haydon aimed to revive the genre of history painting in Britain, producing monumental canvases such as Christ's Entry into Jerusalem and The Raising of Lazarus to promote moral and intellectual themes over mere portraiture.^[2]^[3]
A student at the Royal Academy Schools, he became embroiled in lifelong disputes with the institution, criticizing its preference for landscape and genre scenes while championing the superiority of historical works.^[4]^[5]
Haydon's circle included poets John Keats and William Wordsworth, whose portraits he painted, and he gained some acclaim for advocating the acquisition of the Elgin Marbles for the British Museum.^[6]
However, his ambitious projects often exceeded his means, leading to chronic debt, multiple imprisonments for bankruptcy, and professional isolation.^[6]^[4]
In 1846, facing financial ruin after a failed panorama exhibition, Haydon took his own life by cutting his throat in his London studio.^[6]^[4]
His detailed diaries and autobiography, published posthumously, provide invaluable firsthand accounts of the era's art politics, personal struggles, and creative fervor.^[5]^[7]

Early Life and Education

Childhood and Family Influences

Benjamin Robert Haydon was born on 26 January 1786 in Plymouth, Devonshire, as the only son of Benjamin Robert Haydon Sr., a prosperous printer, stationer, bookseller, and publisher who had inherited and expanded the family business from his own father.^[8]^[9] His mother, Mary Haydon (née Cobley), was the daughter of the Reverend Benjamin Cobley, a clergyman from Ide near Exeter who died prematurely in 1773 after a church sounding-board collapsed on him during a service; she herself suffered from angina pectoris and passed away in 1807.^[10] The Haydon family traced its lineage to the ancient Devonshire Haydons of Cadhay, whose fortunes had been depleted by an 18th-century chancery suit, prompting Haydon Sr.'s father to relocate to Plymouth as a bookseller before his death from heart disease in 1773.^[10] Haydon's early childhood in Plymouth fostered an initial environment supportive of intellectual and creative pursuits, though his parents anticipated he would succeed in the family trade rather than deviate into art. At age six in 1792, upon entering grammar school, he began sketching rough outlines during lessons, marking the onset of his precocious artistic inclination, which his parents initially encouraged alongside literary interests.^[11] He attended Plymouth Grammar School under the Reverend Dr. John Bidlake, who recognized Haydon's talent, introduced him to painting excursions around the countryside, and himself painted as a hobby, thereby exerting a formative influence on the boy's developing aesthetic sensibilities.^[10] Additional local encouragement came from figures like a watchmaker named Reynolds, who affirmed Haydon's resolve to pursue art professionally despite familial expectations.^[12] Family dynamics later complicated Haydon's artistic ambitions, as his parents opposed his full commitment to painting, viewing it as an unstable vocation unfit for inheriting the thriving Plymouth shop; by age 14, however, Haydon had resolved to become a historical painter, defying these pressures and relocating to London in 1804 at age 18 with paternal financial support for formal training.^[13] This tension reflected broader class expectations in provincial England, where mercantile stability trumped speculative creative endeavors, yet Haydon's upbringing in a literate, book-surrounded household inadvertently equipped him with the self-taught knowledge of classical history and literature that underpinned his lifelong dedication to grand historical subjects.^[14]

Apprenticeship and Royal Academy Training

Haydon's early vocational training commenced in 1800, following a six-month commercial course in Exeter, when he was indentured to his father, Robert Haydon, a printer, bookseller, and stationer in Plymouth, for a seven-year term. This apprenticeship involved tasks in the printing trade, which Haydon detested, leading to familial discord and physical ailments including severe eye inflammation from overwork. Despite the obligations, he pursued self-directed artistic practice, sketching from nature and classical sources as encouraged by local clergyman Rev. Dr. John Bidlake, who had introduced him to painting basics around age seven during attendance at Plymouth Grammar School.^[11] By 1804, at age 18, Haydon abandoned the printing apprenticeship—having served approximately four years—and relocated to London to dedicate himself to fine art. With sponsorship from artist Prince Hoare, he enrolled at the Royal Academy Schools on 5 May 1804, gaining admission as a probationer under the Keeper, Henry Fuseli, on Christmas Eve that year. He advanced to full student status on 9 March 1805, studying alongside influences such as John Opie and James Northcote.^[11]^[7] At the Royal Academy, Haydon immersed himself in rigorous training emphasizing anatomy, life drawing, and casts from the antique, dissecting cadavers independently to master human form for historical compositions. Fuseli's lectures on grand manner painting reinforced Haydon's resolve to specialize in epic history subjects over portraiture or genre scenes prevalent among contemporaries. This period solidified his technical foundations, culminating in his debut exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1807 with The Repose in Egypt, purchased by the Marquis of Stafford for 70 guineas.^[7]^[11]

Artistic Philosophy and Advocacy

Commitment to History Painting

Benjamin Robert Haydon pursued history painting as the supreme genre, asserting its capacity to convey moral lessons and heroic ideals through grand-scale depictions of biblical, mythological, and historical events. At age 16 in 1802, inspired by Sir Joshua Reynolds' Discourses on Art, he resolved to dedicate his career to this form, viewing it as essential for elevating national taste and rivaling continental masters like Raphael and Michelangelo.^[15] This early determination, recounted in his autobiography as unyielding even against familial opposition, shaped his lifelong rejection of lucrative alternatives like portraiture.^[16] Haydon's advocacy extended to public policy, as he campaigned for government commissions to adorn parliamentary and civic buildings with history paintings celebrating Britain's heritage, arguing this would foster civic virtue and artistic excellence.^[17] In his Lectures on Painting and Design (1844–1846), he detailed technical foundations such as anatomy and composition as indispensable for the heroic figures central to historical works, critiquing the Royal Academy's preference for smaller genres that prioritized commercial appeal over intellectual depth.^[18] His debut major effort, Dentatus (completed 1809), a 12-by-16-foot canvas of the Roman consul's betrayal exhibited at the Royal Academy, exemplified this scale and ambition despite critical mixed reception and lack of sales.^[19] This steadfast focus incurred chronic debt, as vast canvases like Christ's Entry into Jerusalem (exhibited 1821) drew visitors but seldom buyers, compelling private showings and loans.^[20] Yet Haydon refused compromise, insisting in journals that true genius demanded perseverance in history painting to instruct and inspire the populace, even as economic pressures mounted through repeated bankruptcies by the 1840s.^[9] His efforts highlighted a causal tension between artistic purity and market realities, underscoring history painting's marginalization in Regency England.

Influences from Antiquity and the Elgin Marbles

Haydon's artistic development was profoundly shaped by classical antiquity, particularly through his study of ancient Greek and Roman forms, which he viewed as exemplars of heroic grandeur and anatomical precision essential to history painting. From his early training, he engaged with plaster casts of Greco-Roman sculptures, believing they embodied timeless principles of the human figure derived from direct observation of nature rather than mere convention. This conviction aligned with his advocacy for painters to master anatomy as the foundation of elevated art, a pursuit he undertook independently through dissections and measurements, arguing that such study revealed the "principles of heroic form" underlying ancient ideals.^[21]^[11] The arrival of the Elgin Marbles in London marked a pivotal shift in Haydon's understanding, as he first encountered the Parthenon sculptures in 1808 and studied them intensively over subsequent years. In his autobiography, Haydon recounted the encounter as a revelation, discerning in the Marbles' figures distinct anatomical structures and dynamic proportions that demonstrated ancient Greek sculptors' rigorous study of the living body, countering prevailing notions of idealized abstraction. He perceived their forms as indexing a harmony between physical structure and intellectual expression, influencing his own emphasis on naturalistic yet elevated anatomy in compositions. This led him to produce detailed drawings of the sculptures, which informed his technique for rendering muscular tension and movement.^[22]^[23] Haydon actively championed the Marbles' acquisition by the British government in 1816, viewing their public display as vital for regenerating British art by providing models of sublime realism over the ornate styles he criticized in contemporary institutions. This enthusiasm extended to his selection of ancient subjects, such as Alexander the Great Taming Bucephalus (1826), drawn from Plutarch's accounts of Macedonian valor, and Curtius Leaping into the Gulf (1842), depicting a Roman legend of self-sacrifice, both exemplifying his commitment to narrative themes from antiquity that conveyed moral and historical weight. Through these influences, Haydon sought to emulate the ancients' fusion of empirical observation with ethical purpose, positioning history painting as a moral force in modern society.^[24]^[14]^[17]

Major Works and Career Phases

Early Historical Compositions (1808–1814)

Haydon's early historical compositions from 1808 to 1814 marked his initial forays into large-scale narrative paintings drawn from classical and biblical sources, executed with a focus on dramatic expression and anatomical precision derived from his studies of antique models. These works, often on canvases exceeding ten feet in height, reflected his ambition to elevate British art through elevated subjects, though they also highlighted emerging tensions with institutional exhibition practices.^[25] A pivotal piece was Dentatus, depicting the assassination of the Roman tribune Lucius Siccius Dentatus, commissioned in 1806 by the Earl of Mulgrave and completed after approximately two years of labor. The painting portrayed the hero's betrayal by envious patricians, emphasizing themes of virtue betrayed and stoic resolve amid violence, with Dentatus's muscular form rendered in dynamic torsion to convey defiance. Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1809 (catalogue no. 259), it received mixed attention due to its placement high on the wall, which Haydon protested as obscuring visibility and prompted his first public clash with the Academy's hanging committee, initiating a pattern of institutional friction.^[25]^[19] Between 1809 and 1811, Haydon produced detailed studies for scenes from Shakespeare's Macbeth, including The Murder of Duncan with Macbeth holding the daggers and Lady Macbeth approaching the body, executed in graphite, chalk, and ink to explore psychological tension and nocturnal shadows. These preparatory works underscored his interest in literary history painting, blending Elizabethan drama with visual narrative intensity, though no full exhibition of a completed Macbeth canvas from this phase is recorded.^[26] Culminating the period, The Judgment of Solomon (1812–1814) illustrated the biblical king's arbitration between two mothers claiming one infant, featuring Solomon centrally enthroned with the child held aloft by an executioner, surrounded by a throng of figures expressing varied emotions from anguish to awe. Painted on a grand scale, it incorporated studies of heads, arms, and drapery to achieve lifelike expression and compositional depth, drawing on Haydon's anatomical dissections and observations of live models. The work was eventually acquired by bankers in Plymouth, affirming modest commercial success amid Haydon's growing reputation for moralistic grandeur.^[27]^[28]

Mid-Career Large-Scale Projects (1815–1830)

Haydon completed his vast biblical canvas Christ's Entry into Jerusalem in 1820, a work spanning 396 by 457 centimeters that portrayed Jesus entering the city amid a crowd including inserted portraits of contemporaries such as poets William Wordsworth and John Keats. ^[29] The painting, executed over six years, exemplified Haydon's dedication to grand historical and religious subjects on an epic scale, drawing from Michelangelo's influence while incorporating live models for realism.^[30] Despite attracting thousands of visitors to his private exhibition and praise for its dramatic composition, the piece failed to generate adequate sales, exacerbating Haydon's ongoing financial difficulties.^[27] In the mid-1820s, Haydon shifted toward mythological themes with large-scale oils like Venus and Anchises (1826), an oil-on-canvas depiction of the goddess presenting her son Aeneas's father to the Trojan prince, measuring 127 by 101.6 centimeters and held in the Yale Center for British Art.^[31] Similarly, Alexander the Great Taming Bucephalus (1826) showcased his continued pursuit of heroic narratives from antiquity, rendered in monumental format to evoke classical grandeur.^[32] These works reflected Haydon's belief in history painting's moral and educational value, though they received limited institutional recognition due to his disputes with the Royal Academy. By the late 1820s, Haydon experimented with contemporary and satirical subjects on expansive canvases to broaden appeal, producing The Mock Election (1827) and Chairing the Member (1828), both oversized scenes critiquing political corruption and electoral farce amid Britain's pre-Reform Act tensions.^[17] In 1829, he created Punch or May Day, a 150.5 by 185.1 centimeter oil capturing a lively Marylebone street festival with a Punch and Judy show, milkmaids, and diverse Londoners, blending genre elements with his signature crowd dynamics.^[33] These mid-career endeavors, often exhibited independently in Haydon's studio, underscored his versatility while adhering to large formats—typically over two meters wide—to rival continental masters, yet persistent debt from unsold commissions forced repeated private shows rather than Royal Academy acceptance.^[1] Haydon's journals from this era reveal optimism in public enthusiasm, with Punch or May Day alone drawing crowds that temporarily buoyed his hopes, though ultimate commercial failure highlighted the era's preference for smaller, landscape-oriented art over his ambitious historical visions.^[34]

Later Commissions and Contemporary Subjects (1830–1846)

In the 1830s and early 1840s, Benjamin Robert Haydon secured several commissions that allowed him to apply his grand historical style to depictions of contemporary political and social events, alongside traditional biblical and historical subjects. These works often served propagandistic purposes, aligning with his advocacy for high art in public life. Financial pressures prompted Haydon to accept such assignments, which provided income through direct patronage or exhibition sales.^[35] One notable commission was The Reform Banquet (1832), painted for Prime Minister Earl Grey to commemorate the Guildhall banquet on 11 July 1832 celebrating the passage of the Reform Act 1832. Haydon attended the event, producing on-site sketches that informed the composition, which featured over 150 figures including Grey, Lord Brougham, and other Whig leaders. The large canvas, exhibited privately and later engraved, highlighted the triumphant mood of parliamentary reform but received mixed critical response due to its crowded arrangement.^[36] Haydon also received a commission from the Liverpool School for the Blind in 1837 for Christ Blessing the Little Children, an oil on canvas intended as a companion to William Hilton's Christ Restoring Sight to the Blind. Measuring approximately 2.89 meters in height, the work emphasized themes of compassion and divine favor toward the vulnerable, resonating with the institution's charitable mission. It was displayed at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.^[37]^[38] In 1839, Haydon painted The Duke of Wellington Surveying the Field of Waterloo, portraying Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, in contemplative pose amid the battlefield at sunrise; Wellington sat for the portrait twice that year. This canvas, around 1840 in some versions, evoked heroic reflection on the 1815 victory, blending historical commemoration with contemporary reverence for the aging general.^[39]^[40] A significant contemporary commission came in June 1840 from the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society to record their World Anti-Slavery Convention at Freemasons' Tavern. Completed in 1841 as The Anti-Slavery Society Convention, 1840, the monumental oil depicted 493 delegates, including Thomas Clarkson and international abolitionists, underscoring global efforts against slavery post-1833 emancipation in the British Empire. Haydon's inclusion of racial diversity reflected his views on human equality, though critiqued for idealized portrayals. The painting, now at the National Portrait Gallery, served as both artistic record and moral statement.^[35]^[41] By 1842, Haydon produced historical works like The Black Prince Thanking Lord James Audley for his Gallantry in the Battle of Poitiers (1842), depicting Edward, the Black Prince, honoring Audley after the 1356 victory, in response to parliamentary interest in frescoes for the new Houses of Parliament. Though not selected for the competition, it exemplified his persistence in grand narrative painting amid shifting tastes. Other 1842 canvases, such as The Maid of Saragossa (inspired by the 1808 Peninsular War heroine Agustina de Aragón) and Curtius Leaping into the Gulf (ancient Roman legend), mixed recent military valor with classical heroism, but garnered limited commissions. These later efforts highlighted Haydon's adaptability to patrons seeking elevated depictions of valor, yet underscored his marginalization from mainstream institutional support.

Institutional Conflicts and Financial Realities

Disputes with the Royal Academy

Haydon's disputes with the Royal Academy originated in 1809, when his large-scale history painting Dentatus was selected for exhibition but positioned in an inconspicuous corner by the hanging committee, limiting its visibility and impact.^[14]^[42] This placement, which Haydon attributed to institutional bias against ambitious historical works in favor of smaller portraiture, prompted him to publicly protest the Academy's practices, marking the start of a lifelong antagonism.^[43] Similar grievances arose in 1810 with Macbeth and the Witches, another historical composition hung so poorly that it was scarcely viewable, reinforcing Haydon's view that the Academy systematically disadvantaged grand-scale history painting.^[14] Frustrated by his repeated failure to secure election as an Associate—despite critical acclaim for works like Dentatus—Haydon escalated his criticism through a series of open letters published in The Examiner in 1810, accusing the Academy of nepotism, favoritism toward portrait painters, and neglect of the elevated genre of history painting central to British artistic elevation.^[43] He argued that the hanging committee's preferences for compact, commercially viable portraits over monumental historical canvases not only stifled innovation but also contradicted the Academy's founding principles under royal charter to promote high art.^[44] These letters, while amplifying his reputation among reformers and intellectuals, alienated Academy members, including President Benjamin West, and solidified his outsider status. Haydon's broader critique culminated in pamphlets such as Some Enquiry into the Causes which Have Obstructed the Advance of Historical Painting in This Country (published circa 1826), where he detailed how the Academy's internal politics, emphasis on private patronage over public commissions, and inadequate exhibition spaces hindered the development of history painting as the pinnacle of artistic endeavor.^[44] He contended that the institution's structure empowered a clique of portraitists to dominate selections, relegating historical works to suboptimal positions that deterred patrons and perpetuated a cycle of financial and critical marginalization for practitioners like himself.^[13] Despite occasional submissions to Academy exhibitions into the 1830s and 1840s—such as The Anti-Slavery Society Convention in 1841, which faced renewed hanging disputes—Haydon never achieved full membership, viewing the Academy as an obstacle to national artistic progress rather than its steward.^[45] His persistent advocacy, though rooted in principled defense of history painting, was often dismissed by contemporaries as self-interested bombast, exacerbating his isolation within London's art establishment.^[46]

Debt, Exhibitions, and Economic Pressures

Haydon's pursuit of grand history paintings demanded extensive resources, including vast canvases and prolonged labor, which exacerbated his financial vulnerabilities in an era when public patronage for such works was inconsistent. Upon completing The Judgement of Solomon in 1812, his debts had escalated from over £600 to £1,200, though a sale for 700 guineas supplemented by a 100-guinea prize from the British Institution provided temporary relief.^[17] Similarly, the ambitious Dentatus exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1809 highlighted early fiscal strain, as production costs outpaced returns despite critical notice.^[19] Disillusioned with the Royal Academy's prioritization of portraiture over history painting, Haydon increasingly turned to independent exhibitions at his studio or rented venues to monetize his output directly. These private shows, such as the 1830 display of Napoleon Musing at St. Helena at the Western Exchange, attracted spectators who paid admission fees but seldom purchased canvases, yielding insufficient revenue to cover mounting arrears.^[17] By 1846, a final solo exhibition drew meager attendance and sales, contrasting sharply with concurrent popular entertainments like the "Tom Thumb" performances, which underscored the niche market for Haydon's elevated subjects.^[14] These economic pressures manifested in repeated legal consequences, including arrest for unpaid debts the day after his 1821 marriage to Mary Hyman—averted temporarily through intervention by friend David Wilkie—and subsequent terms in King's Bench Prison, notably two months in 1823 and another stint commencing in June 1827.^[20]^[47] Further incarceration followed in 1830 amid distraints on his goods, culminating in a series of bankruptcies that eroded his resources despite occasional commissions.^[48] By mid-1846, facing prospective fifth imprisonment and insolvency from unsold works, Haydon's journals record acute despair over these unrelenting fiscal burdens.^[49]

Personal Relationships and Intellectual Circle

Family Dynamics and Teaching

In October 1821, Haydon married Mary Hyman, a widow with two young sons, Orlando and Simon, from her previous marriage to a Devonport jeweller.^[17] The couple had ten children together, though seven died in infancy or childhood, leaving three survivors—Frank Scott Haydon (1822–1887), Mary Mordwinoff Haydon (1824–1864), and one other—at the time of Haydon's death.^[46] ^[50] Despite Haydon's devotion to his wife and periodic expressions of domestic affection in his journals, the marriage endured chronic strain from his mounting debts, repeated imprisonments for non-payment, and the resulting poverty that forced the family into frequent relocations and privations.^[14] Haydon's obsessive pursuit of grand historical commissions often prioritized studio work over family stability, exacerbating tensions, as evidenced by his own admissions of having "worn out" personal relationships through self-absorption.^[51] Haydon supplemented his income and advanced his pedagogical ideals by establishing London's first private art school around 1815, attracting pupils who sought alternatives to the Royal Academy's perceived inadequacies in anatomical and compositional rigor.^[52] Notable students included Charles Lock Eastlake, later president of the Royal Academy, and the sons of engraver John Landseer, such as Edwin Landseer, whom Haydon trained in drawing from life models and historical subjects rather than rote copying.^[53] His teaching emphasized first-hand dissection studies and a "concise course of anatomical investigation" tailored for painters, reflecting his belief that empirical mastery of the human form was essential for elevating British history painting above mere portraiture or landscape.^[15] This approach, drawn from Haydon's self-directed studies and advocacy in lectures, influenced pupils toward grand-scale works but yielded mixed results, as some, like Eastlake, adapted it to more commercially viable styles while Haydon himself persisted in unprofitable epics.^[54] No records indicate formal instruction of his own children in art, though family circumstances likely exposed them to his studio environment amid ongoing financial distress.

Friendships with Poets and Reformers

Benjamin Robert Haydon developed close personal and intellectual ties with several prominent Romantic poets, fostering exchanges that influenced their mutual pursuits of beauty, history, and human aspiration. His friendship with John Keats began in late 1816, when Haydon, impressed by Keats's early sonnet "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer," encouraged the young poet's ambitions and shared his studio space for study of classical casts and the Elgin Marbles. ^[55] Their bond endured through extensive correspondence, including Keats's letters to Haydon dated 8 April 1817 and 22 December 1818, where the poet reflected on artistic struggles and natural inspirations. ^[56] Haydon later transcribed Keats's letters for biographical purposes in 1845–1846, underscoring the depth of their rapport until Keats's death in 1821. ^[57] Haydon's association with Leigh Hunt, a poet and radical journalist, dated to around 1811, evidenced by Haydon's portrait of Hunt and their shared involvement in London's literary circles. ^[58] Hunt, editor of The Examiner, introduced Keats to progressive ideas, and Haydon aligned with this milieu through mutual support for young talents amid critiques of establishment art. ^[55] Both men critiqued conservative institutions, with Hunt's imprisonment for libel in 1813 reflecting the political edge to their network. ^[59] A landmark event in Haydon's literary friendships was the "Immortal Dinner" held on 28 December 1817 at his Lisson Grove studio, attended by Keats, William Wordsworth, Charles Lamb, and others. ^[60] Wordsworth, whom Haydon revered for poetic elevation of everyday life, engaged in toasts and discussions on art and genius, while Keats recited verses amid the revelry. ^[61] Haydon later painted Wordsworth on Helvellyn, capturing the poet's contemplative bond with nature, and received dedicatory verses from Wordsworth affirming their esteem. ^[61] Haydon's connections extended to reformers through overlapping interests in social and political change, particularly via Hunt's advocacy for parliamentary reform and anti-corruption. ^[59] Haydon himself championed reform in British art patronage, aligning with broader calls for institutional overhaul, and supported causes like abolitionism by painting the Anti-Slavery Society Convention in 1840, which depicted key figures such as Thomas Clarkson. ^[62] Though primarily artistic, these ties reflected Haydon's belief in art's role in moral and civic progress, shared with radical intellectuals who viewed creativity as a counter to aristocratic privilege. ^[63]

Writings and Public Lectures

Autobiography and Journals

Haydon composed a formal autobiography recounting his life from birth on January 26, 1786, to 1820, drawing on personal recollections augmented by contemporaneous journal entries to detail his artistic training, early ambitions in historical painting, and initial clashes with the Royal Academy. This manuscript, left unfinished at his death, candidly exposes his self-perceived genius, financial imprudence in pursuing grand-scale works like Dentatus (1809), and frustrations with public reception, framing himself as a principled defender of elevated art against commercial tastes.^[64] Complementing the autobiography, Haydon's journals—initiated around 1808 and maintained daily until days before his suicide on June 22, 1846—form a voluminous, unfiltered chronicle exceeding 10,000 pages, capturing minute observations on studio progress, creditor pressures, and social encounters. Entries reveal his ebullient temperament, marked by fervent advocacy for historical subjects inspired by Raphael and Michelangelo, alongside vitriolic critiques of Academy figures like Sir Thomas Lawrence for favoring portraiture over moral grandeur; for instance, he documented the "Immortal Dinner" of December 28, 1817, attended by Keats, Wordsworth, and Lamb, as a pinnacle of intellectual camaraderie amid his isolation.^[65]^[66] Posthumously compiled and edited, the autobiography and selected journal excerpts were first published in 1853 as Life of Benjamin Robert Haydon, Historical Painter, from His Autobiography and Journals by Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, with subsequent editions in 1926 (edited by Tom Taylor for Peter Davies) and 1950 (Macdonald), preserving Haydon's voice while eliding some repetitive complaints about debt and rejection. These writings underscore causal links between his insistence on patronage for epic canvases—totaling over £20,000 in unsubscribed exhibitions—and recurrent bankruptcies, as he lamented the English public's preference for Dutch genre scenes over heroic narratives. Scholars value them for empirical insights into Regency art economics and Haydon's causal attribution of failures to systemic bias rather than technical flaws, though his accounts exhibit evident self-justification, as when he attributes Christ's Entry into Jerusalem (exhibited 1821, sold for £1,150 after years of effort) to divine inspiration amid skepticism.^[67]^[68]^[69]

Advocacy Through Lectures and Essays

Haydon conducted extensive public lectures from 1835 onward, touring England and Scotland to promote the principles of high art, particularly historical painting as a vehicle for national pride and moral instruction.^[70] He delivered series at Mechanics' Institutes in London and provincial venues, arguing that British public buildings should feature murals depicting the nation's heroic history to foster civic virtue, a campaign he tied to his own large-scale works.^[17] These lectures emphasized anatomy as the foundation of drawing, the necessity of studying antique models like the Elgin Marbles, and the elevation of invention over mere imitation, critiquing the Royal Academy's preference for portraiture and landscape as commercially driven dilutions of art's potential.^[71] In his essays and periodical contributions, such as those to The Examiner, Haydon advanced similar arguments against the "degradation of the arts into a commercial enterprise," urging patronage for grand historical subjects to rival continental achievements.^[72] ^[73] He posited that true art derived from first-hand anatomical study and heroic themes, not superficial effects, positioning historical painting as essential for cultural and ethical upliftment amid industrialization's rise.^[21] Culminating these efforts, Haydon published Lectures on Painting and Design in two volumes (1844–1846), compiling his orations with illustrations to systematize his advocacy.^[18] The work detailed the skeleton and muscles as bases for figure drawing, standards for composition and color, contrasts between ancient and modern practices, and the inventive spark required for elevating British art beyond portrait-dominated exhibitions.^[74] Through these platforms, Haydon sought institutional reform, though his uncompromising stance often alienated audiences favoring accessible genres.^[75]

Reception, Criticisms, and Legacy

Contemporary Evaluations and Achievements

Haydon achieved notable success with Christ's Entry into Jerusalem, completed in 1821 and exhibited at the Egyptian Hall, where it attracted over 50,000 visitors in its first few months, demonstrating public interest in his grand historical style.^[76] John Keats praised the painting in his 1816 sonnet "Great spirits now on earth are sojourning," lauding Haydon's commitment to elevating British art through heroic subjects inspired by the Elgin Marbles.^[77] William Wordsworth, who visited Haydon's studio multiple times, expressed admiration for works like Dentatus (1808) and participated in the 1817 "Immortal Dinner" celebrating Christ's Entry, highlighting Haydon's role in fostering intellectual circles around high art.^[60] Further achievements included The Raising of Lazarus (1823), commended in contemporary reviews for the majestic depiction of its central figure, affirming Haydon's skill in dramatic biblical scenes.^[3] His Punch, or May Day (1829) marked a rare commercial triumph, selling for 500 guineas and earning praise for capturing festive energy, while later commissions like The Anti-Slavery Society Convention, 1840 (1841) provided enduring visual documentation of reformist gatherings.^[20] These efforts positioned Haydon as a proponent of history painting, challenging the Royal Academy's dominance of portraiture and landscape, though his independent exhibitions underscored his outsider status.^[2] Contemporary evaluations often highlighted Haydon's ambition and patriotic zeal for British grand manner painting, with supporters like Keats viewing him as a vital force against artistic mediocrity.^[63] Critics in periodicals such as the Annals of the Fine Arts acknowledged isolated strengths in composition and figure modeling, yet broader reception remained divided, with establishment figures dismissing his scale as impractical amid shifting tastes toward smaller genres.^[22] Despite financial woes, Haydon's persistence in producing over a dozen major canvases earned him recognition as a dedicated, if contentious, advocate for elevating public taste through monumental art.^[1]

Shortcomings in Technique and Judgment

Haydon's large-scale historical paintings often exhibited technical shortcomings in draftsmanship and execution, with figures appearing stiff, awkwardly posed, and disproportionately exaggerated due to his emphasis on anatomical idealism over fluid modeling.^[45] Reviewers in 1827 faulted Alexander the Great Taming Bucephalus (1826) for being "ill-grouped, ill-drawn, ill-coloured and extremely vulgar," highlighting a failure to achieve harmonious integration across expansive canvases.^[45] His method of scaling up preliminary sketches onto vast surfaces, compounded by weakening eyesight, resulted in disjointed compositions where details lost cohesion when viewed as wholes.^[78] Critics attributed these flaws to Haydon's overreliance on heroic anatomy derived from studies of the Elgin Marbles, which produced muscular forms lacking subtlety in shading and texture, rendering flesh tones flat and unnatural.^[22] William Hazlitt, in assessing Haydon's strengths, conceded his vigor but urged refinement to counter the "coarseness" evident in theatrical gestures and contrived drama.^[49] The New Monthly Magazine similarly decried "unnecessary and offensive exaggeration" in attitudes, contrasting Haydon's bombast with more restrained contemporaries.^[45] In terms of judgment, Haydon's insistence on monumental subjects suited to public elevation—such as biblical or classical epics—frequently mismatched the era's preferences for intimate portraiture, leading to commercial isolation and unsold works.^[45] G. F. Watts later encapsulated this as self-assertion mirroring personal defects, where Haydon's pictures "fail as he failed," prioritizing ideological grandeur over compositional balance or viewer accessibility. Such choices reflected a principled but rigid adherence to Raphaelite ideals amid shifting tastes toward realism, exacerbating perceptions of his oeuvre as ambitious yet unpolished.^[78]

Enduring Impact and Modern Reappraisals

Haydon's voluminous diaries and autobiography, compiled from journals spanning 1808 to 1846 and first published in edited form by Tom Taylor in 1853, have outlasted his canvases as primary sources illuminating the ambitions and vicissitudes of early nineteenth-century British history painting.^[3] These writings document his advocacy for grand-scale historical art as a vehicle for moral elevation and national prestige, alongside candid accounts of financial ruin, Royal Academy disputes, and interactions with Romantic luminaries such as John Keats, William Wordsworth, and Leigh Hunt.^[75] A full scholarly edition by Willard Bissell Pope in 1960–1963 underscores their value for historians, revealing Haydon's role in fostering intellectual circles that bridged art and poetry, including his mentorship of Keats from 1816 onward. Modern analyses, such as Hiroki Iwamoto's 2021 thesis, attribute to Haydon a formative influence on Keats's poetics, particularly through shared precepts on light, sublimity, and the heroic body derived from antique models.^[79] In reappraisals, Haydon emerges less as an artistic success—his paintings fetching modest auction sums, from £150 to £38,000 in recent sales—than as a symptomatic figure of Romantic individualism and neoclassical zeal.^[80] His tireless promotion of the Elgin Marbles after encountering them in 1808, advocating their study for anatomical vigor and heroic proportion over idealization, contributed to their 1816 acquisition by the British Museum and shaped debates on Greek revival in British art.^[21] ^[22] Scholarship by John Barrell and Aris Sarafianos reframes him within contexts of genius cults, racial theories in aesthetics, and resistance to fashionable portraiture, highlighting his emphasis on empirical anatomy and life drawing as precursors to later academic reforms.^[45] Select works persist as documentary artifacts: The Anti-Slavery Society Convention, 1840 (1841) records the inaugural World Anti-Slavery Convention on June 12, 1840, capturing 120 delegates including Thomas Clarkson and Daniel O'Connell, thus preserving visual testimony to transatlantic reform efforts post-1833 emancipation.^[81] Haydon's lectures and essays, advocating history painting's public utility, prefigured institutional pushes for art education, though his stylistic rigidity—marked by crowded compositions and strained anatomy—tempered his direct stylistic legacy amid the medium's decline by mid-century.^[75]

References

[1]
Benjamin Robert Haydon 1786–1846 - Tate
Benjamin Robert Haydon (; 26 January 1786 – 22 June 1846) was a British painter who specialised in grand historical pictures.
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Haydon, Benjamin Robert, 1786–1846 | Art UK
Inspired by Reynolds's Discourses, he aimed to bring a new seriousness to British art by producing historical and religious work in the Grand Manner and through ...Missing: notable achievements
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Sublime Religion: Benjamin Robert Haydon's The Raising of Lazarus
This painting demonstrates Haydon's attempts to emulate the 'grand manner' of history paintings which, as Haydon had learned from Jacques-Louis David and Sir ...Missing: key | Show results with:key
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The Painter Who Died For His Art - On This Day
Jun 7, 2020 · Benjamin Robert Haydon who died on this day. Born in 1786, he was a British painter who specialised in grand historical pictures – though not successfully.
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Benjamin Robert Haydon - Person - National Portrait Gallery
History painter and diarist The history painter Haydon was intensely ambitious and opinionated. He studied under the artist Fuseli.Missing: key achievements
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Benjamin Robert Haydon | British Museum
Biography: History painter; friend of John Keats and William Wordsworth (qq.v.). Born in Plymouth, dogged by financial problems he killed himself in London.
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Benjamin Robert Haydon | Artist - Royal Academy of Arts
Born: 1786. Died: 1846. RA Schools student from 09 Mar 1805 ... Life Of Benjamin Robert Haydon, Historical Painter, From His Autobiography And Journals.
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Benjamin Robert Haydon | Romanticism, Autobiography, Diaries
Sep 22, 2025 · Benjamin Robert Haydon (born Jan. 25, 1786, Plymouth, Devon, Eng.—died June 22, 1846, London) was an English historical painter and writer ...
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History Centre Heroes: Benjamin Robert Haydon
Jul 12, 2017 · Intensely ambitious, he was the only son of another Benjamin Robert Haydon, a prosperous printer, stationer and publisher, and his wife Mary, ...Missing: childhood family
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Devonshire Characters and Strange Events/Benjamin R. Haydon
Benjamin Robert Haydon in his Autobiography says: "My father was the lineal descendant of one of the oldest families in Devon, the Haydons of Cadhay. The family ...Missing: childhood | Show results with:childhood
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Benjamin Robert Haydon - my daily art display
Mar 26, 2023 · His father was Benjamin Robert Haydon who had married his wife Mary, one of eight children and the second daughter of the Rev. Benjamin Cobley, ...Missing: childhood | Show results with:childhood
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Art Appreciation, by Benjamin Robert Haydon - Clay Lane
1 'The watchmaker' was a man Haydon names only as Reynolds, who worked in Plymouth, the town where Haydon grew up. Reynolds encouraged him to pursue his dream ...
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The Autobiography of Benjamin Robert Haydon by ... - EBSCO
"The Autobiography of Benjamin Robert Haydon" is a reflective account by the historical painter Benjamin Robert Haydon, covering his life from birth in 1786 ...
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Benjamin Robert Haydon | Biographical Sketches
A group of friends, including Thomas Noon Talfourd and Sir Robert Peel, came to the financial rescue of Mrs. Haydon and her daughter, Mary. EBB's friend Mary ...Missing: struggles | Show results with:struggles
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Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786–1846) and the 'Illustrious' John Bell
Finding in early life, the great want of a concise course of anatomical investigation by a painter, and fit only for a painter's.
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[PDF] Life of Benjamin Robert Haydon, historical painter, from his ...
HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND JOURNALS. EDITED AND COMPILED. BY TOM T A Y L. E,. OF THE INNKE ...Missing: excerpts | Show results with:excerpts
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Benjamin Robert Haydon. Part 4. - my daily art display
Apr 22, 2023 · He was also a fervent believer that the country's public buildings should be decorated with history paintings showing the glories of the nation ...
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Lectures on painting and design .. : Haydon, Benjamin Robert, 1786 ...
Jun 6, 2014 · Lectures on painting and design .. v. 1. Origin of the art. Anatomy the basis of drawing. The skeleton. The muscles of man and quadruped. Standard figure. ...
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Benjamin Robert Haydon. Part 2 - my daily art display
Apr 4, 2023 · His lifelong quarrel with the Royal Academy, In 1805 Hayden met another student who had arrived to study at the Royal Academy Schools and ...Missing: struggles | Show results with:struggles
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HAYDON, Benjamin Robert - Stephen Ongpin Fine Art
Among his pupils was Edwin Landseer. In June 1846 he committed suicide, at the age of sixty. Although he saw himself as a genius, Haydon never achieved lasting ...Missing: key | Show results with:key
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https://www.academyofclassicaldesign.org/news/?p=572
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The formation of a taste judgement: how Benjamin R. Haydon came ...
Oct 31, 2022 · Haydon, who was born in Plymouth, had been a student at the Royal Academy of Arts Schools in London for less than three years. His ambition was ...
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(PDF) The formation of a taste judgement: how Benjamin R. Haydon ...
Aug 6, 2025 · The formation of a taste judgement: how Benjamin R. Haydon came to value, observe and evaluate the Elgin Marbles. October 2022; BJHS Themes 7 ...
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Why the Elgin Marbles Matter - History Reclaimed
Dec 13, 2023 · English painter Benjamin Haydon was captivated by the marbles during his initial visit to see them. On a return trip, he said their impact was ...
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Assassination of L. S. Dentatus | Works of Art | RA Collection
Benjamin Robert Haydon, Assassination of LS Dentatus, 1821. Wood-engraving on seven-piece block. 375 mm x 289 mm.
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Collection document | YCBA Collections Search
between 1809 and 1811 ; Creator. Benjamin Robert Haydon, 1786–1846 ; Title. The Murder of Duncan - Macbeth with the Daggers ; Part Of. Collective Title: Studies of ...
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Head of King Solomon (recto); Study of a boy's head and arm (verso)
Ambitious to prove himself as a history painter, Haydon painted a large "Judgment of Solomon" between 1812-14. This is one of a pair of drawings where he ...
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Study for the figure of the executioner in 'The Judgement of Solomon ...
These drawings are studies for, or relating to, 'The Judgement of Solomon' (Plymouth Museum and Art Gallery) which Haydon painted between 1812-1814.Missing: Judgment | Show results with:Judgment
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Studies for 'Christ's Entry into Jerusalem' | Works of Art | RA Collection
These drawings are preparatory studies for Haydon's painting, 'Christ's Entry into Jerusalem' (1814 - 1820, St. Gregory's Seminary, Cinncinati, USA).
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Christ's Entry into Jerusalem by HAYDON, Benjamin Robert
Page of Christ's Entry into Jerusalem by HAYDON, Benjamin Robert in the Web Gallery of Art, a searchable image collection and database of European painting, ...
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YCBA Collections Search - Yale University
1826. Benjamin Robert Haydon was an aspiring history painter, and the subject of this painting was inspired by the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite, in which the ...Missing: antiquity | Show results with:antiquity
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Venus and Anchises | Art UK
Venus and Anchises by Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786–1846), 1826, from Yale Center for British Art.
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'Punch or May Day', Benjamin Robert Haydon, 1829 | Tate
Punch or May Day. 1829, Benjamin Robert Haydon. artwork information. in the shop. In Tate Britain. Historic and Modern British Art: Art for the Crowd: 1815– ...
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Punch or May Day | Art UK
Punch or May Day by Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786–1846), 1829, from Tate.
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NPG 599; The Anti-Slavery Society Convention, 1840 - Portrait
The British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society commissioned Benjamin Robert Haydon to paint the 1840 World Anti-Slavery Society Convention. The 493 delegates ...
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Description of Haydon's picture of the Reform Banquet, painted for ...
Description of Haydon's picture of the Reform Banquet, painted for the Right Honorable Earl Grey, now exhibiting (with other works) at the Great Room, No. 26, ...
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The Reform Banquet - Wikipedia
Haydon attended the actual dinner in July 1832 and drew up an initial sketch as he began working on the composition of the final painting before moving on ...
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Christ Blessing the Little Children - Benjamin Robert Haydon
This painting was commissioned by the Liverpool School for the Blind in 1837 as a companion to a work by William Hilton (1786-1839), 'Christ Restoring Sight to ...
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Christ Blessing the Little Children | Art UK
Christ Blessing the Little Children by Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786–1846), c.1837, from Walker Art Gallery.
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NPG 6265; Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington ('The Duke of ...
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington ('The Duke of Wellington Surveying the Field of Waterloo'). by Benjamin Robert Haydon oil on canvas, 1839Missing: 1840 | Show results with:1840
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The Duke of Wellington Describing the Field of Waterloo to HM ...
The Duke of Wellington Describing the Field of Waterloo to HM George IV by Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786–1846), 1840, from The Royal Hospital Chelsea.
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Art, Genius, and Racial Theory in the Early Nineteenth Century
Early in June 1840 the executive committee of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society commissioned the artist Benjamin Robert Haydon to produce a ...<|separator|>
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The Black Prince Thanking Lord James Audley for his Gallantry in ...
The Black Prince Thanking Lord James Audley for his Gallantry in the Battle of Poitiers ; Artist, Benjamin Robert Haydon ; Type, Oil on canvas, history painting.Missing: commission | Show results with:commission
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Haydon versus Shee - jstor
The story of Haydon's original quarrel with the Royal Academy, the result of the ill-usage or supposed ill-usage of his 'Dentatus,' is well known. The.
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1826 Rival Models for History Painting
Haydon's Venus and Anchises was the first picture that he had sent for exhibition with the Academy since 1809, when he had been outraged over the hanging of his ...<|separator|>
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Some Enquiry Into The Causes Which Have Obstructed The ...
The pamphlet touches not only upon the commissioning of history-painting in Britain but also on Haydon's disagreements with the Royal Academy. Provenance.
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1827 The Loser - Royal Academy Chronicle
One such loser—in 1827, at least—was Benjamin Robert Haydon. Haydon, as his published diaries make abundantly clear, was an extraordinary figure. A one-time ...Missing: apprenticeship | Show results with:apprenticeship
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Into the Abyss with Benjamin Robert Haydon - 3 Quarks Daily
Feb 16, 2025 · Benjamin Robert Haydon, a painter, writer, and lecturer known to them all, had been found dead in his studio, the victim of his own tragic hand.Missing: key achievements
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B. R. Haydon and debtors' prisons (Chapter 7)
In June 1827 Benjamin Robert Haydon was imprisoned for debt in the King's Bench Prison in Southwark. It was not the first time Haydon had been behind bars.
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HAYDON, Benjamin Robert (1786-1846) - Archives Hub - Jisc
Papers of Benjamin Robert Haydon, 1826-1846, comprising letters to William Newton, his landlord, 1830-1845, relating to house repairs, his debts, ...Missing: struggles | Show results with:struggles
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A Genius for Failure by Paul O'Keeffe | Books - The Guardian
Dec 18, 2009 · By the time Haydon killed himself in 1846 he had been in prison four times for debt, was out of favour with commercial marketeers and public ...Missing: imprisonment | Show results with:imprisonment
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Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786-1846) - Find a Grave Memorial
"Sacred to the Memory of Benjamin Robert Haydon. Born January 25th 1786. Died June 22 1846. He devoted 42 years to the improvement of the taste of the ...
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A Genius for Failure: The Life of Benjamin Robert Haydon by Paul O ...
Aug 9, 2009 · With the story of Benjamin Robert Haydon, you are always compelled to begin at the end - with his rather gruesome suicide in the painting ...Missing: key achievements
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B. R. Haydon and His School - jstor
new phase in art education in England began. Haydon's 'school' was the first private art school in the London area in the nineteenth century ...
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B. R. Haydon and His School
In 1815, when John Landseer brought his sons to be trained under B. R. Haydon instead of at the Royal Academy Schools, a.
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[PDF] Benjamin Robert Haydon: correspondence and table-talk
Benjamin Robert Haydon,. Prom a Bust "by Park. Page 11. Benjamin Robert Haydon ... Plymouth, in the well-known house, still standing, of his grandfather ...
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John Keats and Benjamin Robert Haydon | PMLA | Cambridge Core
Dec 2, 2020 · The fact is that Keats and Haydon were intimate friends during the greater part of Keats's active creative life, and that each held the other, ...
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Letter #9: To Benjamin Robert Haydon, 20 November 1816
Nov 20, 2016 · He had recently also met Leigh Hunt, who in about ten days' time would publish his “Young Poets” essay in The Examiner naming Keats (along with ...
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'From his Fellow-countryman': Keats's Letters Transcribed and ...
Jun 24, 2024 · This essay examines Benjamin Robert Haydon's neglected transcripts of John Keats's letters (1845–46).<|control11|><|separator|>
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NPG 293; Leigh Hunt - Portrait
Leigh Hunt by Benjamin Robert Haydon, oil on canvas, circa 1811, 24 in. x 19 3/4 in. (610 mm x 502 mm), Purchased, 1869.
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Leigh Hunt, the Unstoppable Critic - JSTOR Daily
Apr 4, 2025 · Leigh Hunt by Benjamin Robert ... political figures, Hunt's story serves as both a cautionary tale and an inspiration.Missing: views | Show results with:views
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The Immortal Dinner, Part 1 - Wordsworth Grasmere
Dec 28, 2014 · At that time Haydon, Hunt and Keats were close friends, but Haydon only knew Shelley by reputation (despite Hunt's enthusiasm, Shelley had ...
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On This Day in 1817: 28 December, The Immortal Dinner – BARS Blog
Dec 28, 2017 · Haydon had an impact in the Literary world, with William Wordsworth, John Keats, and Leigh Hunt writing verses dedicated to the artist ...
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The World's Anti-Slavery Convention of 1840 - jstor
the American Anti-Slavery Society, the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery ... on record by Benjamin Robert Haydon,who had been commissioned by the London ...
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[PDF] John Keats, Benjamin Robert Haydon, and the Aesthetics of Light ...
Oct 12, 2021 · 4 In a manner of speaking, Keats 'substituted' William Hazlitt for Leigh Hunt, who had been named— along with Haydon and William Wordsworth ...
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Life of Benjamin Robert Haydon, historical painter, from his autobiography and journals : Haydon, Benjamin Robert, 1786-1846 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
**Summary:**
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The Autobiography And Journals Of Benjamin Robert Haydon
... AUTOBIOGRAPHY. CHAPTER I. Birth and Parentage—My Family—Early Recollections—Early Struggles. —I determine to be a Painter—My Father's Partner ... 5. CHAPTER H.
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Lisson Grove: Part One - Project MUSE
On December 28, 1817, the painter Benjamin Robert Haydon hosts what he refers to in both his diaries and Autobiography as “the immortal dinner.
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THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND JOURNALS OF BENJAMIN ROBERT ...
Oct 28, 2006 · THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND JOURNALS OF BENJAMIN ROBERT HAYDON (1786-1846) ; Publication date: 1950 ; Publisher: MACDONALD ; Collection: universallibrary.
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Catalog Record: The autobiography and memoirs of Benjamin...
The autobiography and memoirs of Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786-1846) edited from his journals by Tom Taylor. ; Main Author: Haydon, Benjamin Robert, 1786-1846.
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Life of Benjamin Robert Haydon, Historical Painter 3 Volume Set
Before the painter Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786–1846) committed suicide, he had left instructions that an account of his life should be published, ...
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Invention. By B.R. Haydon, Historical Painter. With Designs Drawn ...
Lectures On Painting And Design: Origin Of The Art - Anatomy The Basis Of Drawing - The Skeleton - The Muscles Of Man And Quadruped - Standard Figures ...
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Catalog Record: Lectures on painting and design
Lectures on painting and design. By B.R. Haydon. Description. Tools. Cite this Export citation file. Main Author: Haydon, Benjamin Robert, 1786-1846.
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Benjamin Robert Haydon Criticism: B. R. Haydon and The Examiner
Before starting on this he painted a trial-picture of Joseph and Mary ... Raphael was considered to be the master of “expression” in painting and Haydon ...
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Review Essay - Taylor & Francis Online
writer Robert Benjamin Haydon bemoaned what he considered the degradation of the arts as a whole into a commercial enterprise. Haydon's pleas for government.
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Lectures on Painting and Design - Benjamin Robert Haydon
Jan 29, 2019 · Lectures on Painting and Design, Volume 2. Front Cover · Benjamin Robert Haydon. Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, Paternoster-Row, 1846 ...
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Benjamin Robert Haydon Criticism - eNotes.com
... Haydon's financial difficulties and disputes with the Royal Academy marked his career. Haydon's passionate advocacy for the Elgin marbles and his disputes ...
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Haydon and Northcote on Hazlitt: A Fabrication - jstor
The second occasion was after the triumph of his 'Christ's Entry into Jerusalem' when he went to crow over Northcote; his reception was cool: 'What d'ye call on ...
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To Benjamin Robert Haydon – 21 Nov 1816
Nov 21, 2016 · As we saw yesterday, Keats sent Haydon his “Great Spirits” sonnet on 20 November 1816, the morning after the two spent an evening together ...
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Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786-1846) - jstor
Haydon's complicated visual procedure in trans- ferring his forms to a very large canvas which his weak eyesight did not enable him to see as a whole. We ...Missing: technique | Show results with:technique
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John Keats, Benjamin Robert Haydon, and the aesthetics of light ...
Sep 28, 2021 · This thesis is the first full-length investigation into the influence of the historical painter Benjamin Robert Haydon on the poetry and poetics of John Keats.
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Benjamin Robert Haydon | 53 Artworks at Auction - MutualArt
Benjamin Robert Haydon's work has been offered at auction multiple times, with realized prices ranging from 194 USD to 48,231 USD, depending on the size and ...Missing: reappraisal | Show results with:reappraisal
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British Art and the Sublime - Tate
Christine Riding and Nigel Llewellyn look back at the sublime in British art and explore what it has meant in the past and how it continues to be reinterpreted ...