early life and training

sir augustus wall callcott, a renowned english landscape painter, was born on february 20, 1779, in kensington gravel pits, a village on the western edge of london. his early life was marked by a passion for music, which led him to sing in the choir of westminster abbey for several years. later, he became a student of the royal academy, where he began his artistic career as a portrait painter under the tutelage of john hoppner.

rise to prominence

callcott's preference for landscape painting soon became apparent, and after 1804, he exclusively exhibited landscapes. his skill, elegant design, and charming tone led to a steady rise in his reputation. in 1806, he was elected an associate of the royal academy, and in 1810, he became a full academician.

notable works and exhibitions

some of callcott's most notable works include:

• the entrance to the pool of london (1816)
• the mouth of the tyne (1818)
• a dead calm on the medway (1820)
• rochester (1824)
• raffaelle and the fornarina (1837) - a rare example of his figure paintings, which can be found in the south kensington museum (sheepshanks collection), now part of the v&a

legacy and later life

callcott received a knighthood in 1837 upon queen victoria's accession. he succeeded william seguier as surveyor of the queen's pictures in 1843. callcott passed away on november 25, 1844, and was buried in kensal green cemetery. view more works by sir augustus wall callcott on ArtsDot.com:

• sir augustus wall callcott's artworks
• discovering the masterpieces of blake museum (united kingdom)
• william beattie brown: a scottish landscape painter

explore more on wikipedia:

• sir augustus wall callcott's wikipedia page