Francis Danby (1793 – 1861)
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Francis Danby was an Irish painter, known for his contributions to the Romantic period. Danby was born in a small town in southern Ireland, but moved with his family to Dublin when he was still a young child. In Dublin was exposed to painting and began to take drawing lessons at the Royal Dublin Society’s schools, where he studied under James Arthur O’Connor. Once Danby felt comfortable drawing, he began painting landscape.
By 1824 Danby decided to move to London, in search of more opportunities. Danby moved with his tutor O’Connor and his peer George Petrie. The ambitious trio of painters soon ran out of funds and was forced to return to Dublin on foot. On their way back to Dublin they made a stop in Bristol, where Danby started selling watercolor landscapes. Danby had a streak of luck selling his pieces and decided to stay in Bristol. Danby set up a small studio and began working on larger oil paintings, which he would send to exhibitions in London.
By 1828, Danby had enough funds and artistic recognition to return to London. Before long, Danby had an exhibition at the British Institution and was elected as an Associate Member of the Royal Academy. A year later, Danby’s relationship with the Academy soured and his wife left him for another painter.
Danby left London for more than a decade and settled in Geneva Switzerland. Outside of the United Kingdom, Danby led the life of a Bohemian, building ships and making trips to Paris among other locations in Europe.
In 1840 Danby returned to England after recovering from his failed marriage and tumultuous career. In England Danby was able to connect with his two sons (James Francis Danby and Thomas Danby) and exhibited his most recent paintings. Danby settled in Exmouth, Devon, where he spent the last decades of his life.
Danby is now remembered as one of the foremost British painters of the Romantic period. His paintings are in major British and international collections. Do you think you own a painting by Francis Danby? Contact us. We are the Danby experts.