A Polymath of Letters and Art
William Hazlitt was an English essayist, drama and literary critic, painter, social commentator, and philosopher. He is recognized as one of the greatest critics and essayists in the history of the English language, standing alongside figures such as Samuel Johnson and George Orwell. Beyond his literary contributions, he was acknowledged as the finest art critic of his age.
His artistic endeavors included work as an itinerant painter. Taking lessons from his brother John, a portrait painter, Hazlitt began to paint portraits, sometimes in the style of Rembrandt. His work was considered good enough that a portrait of his father was accepted for exhibition by the Royal Academy. In 1802, he traveled to Paris to copy works of the Old Masters at The Louvre.
Literary and Philosophical Pursuits
Hazlitt's intellectual life involved deep study of various thinkers and the publication of several significant works:
- An Essay on the Principles of Human Action: Being an Argument in favour of the Natural Disinterestedness of the Human Mind (1805)
- Free Thoughts on Public Affairs (1806)
- The Eloquence of the British Senate (1807)
- A New and Improved Grammar of the English Tongue (1809)
- Table-Talk
- Characters of Shakespear's Plays (1817)
As a journalist, he contributed to periodicals such as The Examiner, The Morning Chronicle, and The Edinburgh Review. His writing spanned subjects including Shakespeare, Milton, and various political and social critiques.
