**early life and training** henry perronet briggs ra, a prominent english painter of portraits and historical scenes, was born in 1793 in walworth, united kingdom. his family hailed from norfolk, and he was related to the artist opie. while still at school, briggs demonstrated his artistic prowess by sending two engravings to the gentleman's magazine. in 1811, he entered as a student at the royal academy, marking the beginning of his f…