View source for Daniel Maclise

{{Short description|Irish history, literary and portrait painter, and illustrator}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox artist
| name          = Daniel Maclise
| image         = Daniel Maclise.png
| caption       = Daniel Maclise photographed by William Lake Price (1857)
| image_size    =
| birth_name    =
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1806|01|25|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Cork (city)|Cork]], [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Ireland]]
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1870|04|25|1806|01|25|df=y}}
| death_place   = [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]], England
| spouse        =
| known_for     = [[History painting]]; [[Portrait painting]]
| training      =
| movement      =
| notable_works =
| patrons       =
| awards        =
| elected       =
| website       = <!-- {{URL|Example.com}} -->
}}
[[File:Maclisechivalry.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Maclise's ''Spirit of Chivalry'', oil on canvas, 50 x 33 5/8 inches (127.00 x 85.60&nbsp;cm), Private collection.]]
[[File:Hamlet play scene cropped.png|thumb|right|450px|A detail of the engraving of Maclise's 1842 painting ''The Play-scene in Hamlet'', portraying the moment when the guilt of Claudius is revealed.]]
[[File:Daniel Maclise1857Lithograph.jpg|thumb|160px|1857 lithograph of Daniel Maclise by [[Charles Baugniet]]]]
'''Daniel Maclise''' {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|RA}} (25 January 1806{{snd}}25 April 1870) was an Irish [[History painting|history painter]], literary and [[Portrait painting|portrait]] painter, and illustrator, who worked for most of his life in London, England. His works included a series  of murals at the [[Palace of Westminster]], among them ''The Death of Nelson''.

==Early life==
Maclise was born in [[Cork (city)|Cork]], Ireland (then part of the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland]]), the son of Alexander McLish (also known as McLeish, McLish, McClisse or McLise), a tanner or shoemaker, but formerly a [[Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)|Scottish Highlander]] soldier. His education was of the plainest kind, but he was eager for culture, fond of reading, and anxious to become an artist. His father, however, placed him in employment, in 1820, in Newenham's Bank, where he remained for two years, before leaving to study at the [[Cork Institute of Technology|Cork School of Art]]. In 1825, [[Sir Walter Scott]] was travelling in Ireland, and Maclise, having seen him in a bookseller's shop, made a surreptitious sketch of him, which he afterwards [[lithograph]]ed. The print became very popular, and led to many commissions for portraits, which he executed in pencil.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Various influential friends recognised Maclise's genius and promise, and were anxious to furnish him with the means of studying in London; but refusing all financial assistance, he saved the money himself and arrived in the capital on 18 July 1827. There he made a sketch of [[Charles John Kean]], the actor, which, like his portrait of Scott, was lithographed and published, making the artist a considerable sum. He entered the [[Royal Academy]] schools in 1828, eventually being awarded the highest prizes open to students.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

==Career==
Maclise exhibited for the first time at the [[Royal Academy Exhibition of 1829]] at [[Somerset House]]. Gradually he began to confine himself more exclusively to subject and historical pictures, varied occasionally by portraits&nbsp;– such as those of [[John Campbell, 1st Lord Campbell|Lord Campbell]], novelist [[Letitia Elizabeth Landon|Letitia Landon]], [[Charles Dickens|Dickens]], and other of his literary friends.
In 1833, he exhibited two pictures which greatly increased his reputation, and in 1835 the ''Chivalric Vow of the Ladies'' and the ''Peacock'' procured his election as associate of the Academy, of which he became full member in 1840. {{sfn|Monkhouse|1885–1900}}
The years that followed were occupied with a long series of figure pictures, deriving their subjects from history and tradition and from the works of [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]], [[Oliver Goldsmith|Goldsmith]] and [[Alain René le Sage|Le Sage]].

He also designed illustrations for several of Dickens's Christmas books and other works. Between the years 1830 and 1836 he contributed to ''[[Fraser's Magazine]]'', under the pseudonym of Alfred Croquis, a remarkable series of portraits of the literary and other celebrities of the time&nbsp;– character studies, etched or lithographed in outline, and touched more or less with the emphasis of the caricaturist, which were afterwards published as the ''Maclise Portrait Gallery'' (1871).<ref>Maclise, Daniel & Bates, William. ''[https://archive.org/details/macliseportraitg00macl The Maclise portrait-gallery of "illustrious literary characters" etc.]'' (London: Chatto and Windus, 1883)</ref> During the rebuilding of the [[Palace of Westminster#Frescoes|Houses of Parliament]] in London in 1834–1850 by [[Charles Barry]], Maclise was commissioned in 1846 to paint murals in the [[House of Lords]] on such subjects as ''Justice'' and ''Chivalry''.<ref>[http://www.parliament.uk/worksofart/artwork/daniel-maclise/the-spirit-of-chivalry--sketch-/2776 The spirit of chivalry] (Art in Parliament).</ref><ref>The complex history surrounding the decoration is best summarized by
[[T. S. R. Boase]], ''The Decorations of the New Palace of Westminster 1841–1863'', in: ''Journal of the [[Warburg Institute|Warburg]] and [[Courtauld Institute|Courtauld]] Institutes'' 17:1954, pp. 319–358.</ref>

In 1858, Maclise commenced one of the two great monumental works of his life, ''[[The Meeting of Wellington and Blücher after the Battle of Waterloo]]'', on the walls of [[Westminster Palace]].<ref>[http://www.parliament.uk/worksofart/artwork/daniel-maclise/the-meeting-of-wellington-and-blucher-after-the-battle-of-waterloo/3246 The Meeting of Wellington and Blucher after the Battle of Waterloo] (Art in Parliament).</ref> It was begun in [[fresco]], a process which proved unmanageable. The artist wished to resign the task, but, encouraged by [[Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence|Prince Albert]], he studied in Berlin the new method of [[Silicate mineral paint|water-glass painting]], and carried out the subject and its companion, ''[[The Death of Nelson (Maclise painting)|The Death of Nelson]]'', in that medium, completing the latter painting in 1864.

Maclise's vast painting of ''[[The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife]]'' (1854) hangs in the [[National Gallery of Ireland]], Dublin.<ref>[http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/arts-literature/art-artists/daniel-maclise-%281806-1870/the-marriage-of-strongbow/ The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife] ("Ask about Ireland").</ref> It portrays the marriage of the main Norman conqueror of Ireland "[[Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke|Strongbow]]" to the daughter of his Gaelic ally. The painting is said to relate Maclise's nationalist feelings and his knowledge of ancient, Irish, civilization.<ref>{{cite book |last=De Breffny |first=Brian |author-link= |date=1983 |title=Ireland: A Cultural Encyclopedia |url= |location=London |publisher=Thames and Hudson |page=148 |isbn=}}</ref> 

By the grand staircase of [[Halifax Town Hall]], which was completed in 1863, there is a wall painting by Maclise.<ref>[[commons:File:C19 interior 028.jpg|Wall painting by Maclise]] in Halifax Town Hall.</ref><ref>[https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1314024 English Heritage National Monuments Record: description of Halifax Town Hall, mentioning Maclise wall painting.]</ref>

The intense application which he gave to these great historic works, and various circumstances connected with the commission, had a serious effect on the artist's health. He began to shun the company in which he formerly delighted, his old buoyancy of spirits was gone, and when, in 1865, the presidency of the Royal Academy was offered to him he declined the honour. He died of acute [[pneumonia]] on 25 April 1870 at his home 4 Cheyne Walk, [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]].{{sfn|Monkhouse|1885–1900}}<ref name="vch">{{cite web |title=Settlement and building: Artists and Chelsea Pages 102-106 A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 12, Chelsea. |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol12/pp102-106 |website=British History Online |publisher=Victoria County History, 2004 |access-date=21 December 2022}}</ref>

His works are distinguished by powerful intellectual and imaginative qualities, but, in the opinion of [[William Cosmo Monkhouse|William Monkhouse]], a late Victorian critic, somewhat marred by harsh and dull colouring, by metallic hardness of surface and texture, and by frequent touches of the theatrical in the action and attitudes of the figures. His fame rests most securely on his two greatest works at Westminster.{{sfn|Monkhouse|1885–1900}}

A memoir of Maclise, by his friend William Justin O'Driscoll, was published in 1871.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

==Posthumous exhibitions==
===National Portrait Gallery, 1972===
The works of Maclise in portraiture were celebrated in 1972 at an exhibition in the [[National Portrait Gallery, London|National Portrait Gallery]].<ref name="dt15">[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/art/what-to-see/daniel-maclise-waterloo-cartoon-royal-academy-review/ telegraph.co.uk: "Daniel Maclise: The Waterloo Cartoon, Royal Academy, review: 'fascinating'"], 1 Sep 2015</ref>

===Crawford Art Gallery, 2008===
The [[Crawford Municipal Art Gallery|Crawford Art Gallery]] in [[Cork (city)|Cork]], Ireland, Maclise's native city, held a major exhibition of his works, ''Daniel Maclise: Romancing the Past'' (28 October 2008 - 14 February 2009), opened by [[David Puttnam]].<ref>''Daniel Maclise 1806–1870 Romancing the Past'', ed. Peter Murray; Gandon Editions, Kinsale 2008. {{ISBN|978-0-948037-66-5}}</ref>

===Royal Academy, 2015===
The preliminary sketch for ''The Meeting of Wellington and Blücher'' was displayed at the [[Royal Academy of Arts]] from 2 September 2015 to 3 January 2016, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the [[Battle of Waterloo]].<ref name="dt15"/><ref name="ra">[https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/maclisewaterloo royalacademy.org: "Daniel Maclise's cartoon for 'The Meeting of Wellington and Blücher' is a preparatory drawing on an epic scale."]</ref> It had been displayed previously from 23 May until 23 August at the [[Royal Armouries]] in Leeds as part of the ''Waterloo 1815: The Art of Battle'' exhibition.<ref name="ra"/>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="200">
File:William Harrison Ainsworth by Daniel Maclise.jpg|''[[Portrait of William Harrison Ainsworth]]'', 1834
File:Maclise, Capt Rock, 1834 (2).jpg|''[[The Installation of Captain Rock]]'', 1834
File:Daniel Maclise Henry VIIIs first interview with Anne Boleyn.jpg|''Henry VIII's First Meeting with Anne Boleyn'', 1835
File:The Chivalric Vow of the Ladies and the Peacock.jpg|''[[The Chivalric Vow of the Ladies of the Peacock]]'', 1835
File:Merry Christmas in the Baron's Hall.PNG|''[[Merry Christmas in the Baron's Hall]]'', 1838
File:Daniel Maclise (1806-70) - A Scene from Gil Blas - RCIN 407173 - Royal Collection.jpg|''A Scene from Gil Blas'', 1839
File:Charles Dickens by Daniel Maclise.jpg|''[[Portrait of Charles Dickens]]'', 1839
File:Daniel Maclise (1806-1870) - Robin Hood and His Merry Men Entertaining Richard the Lionheart in Sherwood Forest - NCM 1984-400 - Nottingham Museums.jpg|''[[Robin Hood and His Merry Men Entertaining Richard the Lionheart in Sherwood Forest]]'', 1839
File:The Banquet Scene in Macbeth.png|''[[The Banquet Scene in Macbeth]]'', 1840
File:Daniel Maclise (1806-1870) - The Play Scene in 'Hamlet' - N00422 - National Gallery.jpg|''[[The Play Scene in Hamlet]]'', 1842
File:The Origin of the Harp.png|''[[The Origin of the Harp]]'', 1842
File:Daniel Maclise (1806-1870) - Catherine Dickens (1815–1879) - DH715 - Charles Dickens Museum.jpg|''[[Portrait of Catherine Dickens]]'', 1847
File:Daniel Maclise (1806-1870) - Macready as Werner - F.21 - Victoria and Albert Museum.jpg|''[[Macready as Werner]]'', 1850
File:Caxton Showing the First Specimen of His Printing to King Edward IV at the Almonry, Westminster.jpg|''Caxton Showing the First Specimen of His Printing to King Edward IV'', 1851
File:Marriage of strongbow and aoife.jpg|''[[The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife]]'', 1854
File:Daniel Maclise (1806-1870) - Peter the Great at Deptford Dockyard - THC0040 - Royal Holloway, University of London.jpg|''[[Peter the Great at Deptford Dockyard]]'', 1857
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
'''Attribution'''
*{{cite DNB |last= Monkhouse|first=William |wstitle=Maclise,_Daniel}}
*{{EB1911 |wstitle=Maclise, Daniel |volume=17 |pages=262-263}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Art UK bio}}
* {{Gutenberg author | id=38926| name=Daniel Maclise}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Daniel Maclise}}
*[https://www.parliament.uk/about/art-in-parliament/online-exhibitions/historic-events/daniel-maclises-waterloo/ Maclise on the UK Parliament website]
*[http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/maclise_daniel.html Daniel Maclise online] (Artcyclopedia)
*[http://www.artnet.com/artist/633512/daniel-maclise.html Daniel Maclise on Artnet]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20111006063727/http://www.drawpaintsculpt.com/artist-biographies/daniel-maclise/ Daniel Maclise biography] (London atelier of representational art)
*[http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/irish-artists/daniel-maclise.htm Daniel maclise biography] (Encyclopedia of Irish and World Art)
*[http://www.artrenewal.org/pages/artist.php?artistid=804 Daniel Maclise at Art Renewal Center]
* [http://www.racollection.org.uk/ixbin/indexplus?_IXACTION_=file&_IXFILE_=templates/full/person.html&_IXTRAIL_=Academicians&person=5785 Profile on Royal Academy of Arts Collections]
* An engraving by P Lightfoot of {{ws|[[s:Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L.) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837/The Hall of Glennaquoich|The Hall of Glennaquoich—A Highland Feat]]}} for Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1837 with a poetical illustration by [[Letitia Elizabeth Landon]].

{{Daniel Maclise|state=expanded}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maclise, Daniel}}
[[Category:1806 births]]
[[Category:1870 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century Irish painters]]
[[Category:Irish male painters]]
[[Category:19th-century painters of historical subjects]]
[[Category:Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery]]
[[Category:Irish fantasy artists]]
[[Category:Irish people of Scottish descent]]
[[Category:Irish muralists]]
[[Category:Artists from County Cork]]
[[Category:Irish portrait painters]]
[[Category:Royal Academicians]]
[[Category:Irish emigrants to the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Alumni of Cork Institute of Technology]]
[[Category:19th-century British male artists]]
[[Category:19th-century Irish male artists]]