Archer James Oliver ARA (1774 – 16 March 1842) was a British painter, principally active as a portraitist.

Portrait of George Children by Archer James Oliver

Life

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The son of John and Anna Maria Oliver, he was christened at St Mary's church in Whitechapel on 3 October 1774.[1] Oliver studied at the Royal Academy from 13 August 1790.[2] He exhibited 210 paintings at the Royal Academy between 1791 and 1841, and 62 at the British Institution.[3][4] In the latter part of his career he showed still lifes of fruit, nuts and dead game, and some biblical scenes, in addition to the portraits which had previously predominated.[3]

His portraits were often engraved. Their subjects included the banker George Children; the politician Sir Berkeley Guise, 2nd Baronet; the songwriter Charles Morris; Robert Morris; the minister Vicesimus Knox; and the solicitor Robert Blake.[2] In 1803-4 he exhibited some portraits of members of the Howard family in medieval costume, intended as designs for stained glass at Arundel Castle.[3]

He was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy on 2 November 1807.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975: Archer James Oliver, 03 Oct 1774;" (citing ST MARY WHITECHAPEL,STEPNEY,LONDON,ENGLAND, reference ; FHL microfilm 94,694). FamilySearch. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Lee, Sidney, ed. (1895). "Oliver, Archer James" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 42. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  3. ^ a b c Graves, Algernon (1905). The Royal Academy: A Complete Dictionary of Contributors from its Foundations in 1769 to 1904. Vol. 6. London: Henry Graves. pp. 8–10.
  4. ^ Graves, Algernon (1884). A Dictionary of Artists who have exhibited works in the principal London Exhibitions of Oil Paintings from 1760 to 1880. London: George Bell & Sons. p. 174.

Sources

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