William Scott, Baron Stowell (1745-1836) maritime and international lawyer and judge

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection

In this mezzotint, William Scott is shown seated in his court dress, with his head turned to the right. Scott was an English judge who served at the High Court of Admiralty from 1798 to 1828. He was born near Newcastle upon Tyne and was educated at Newcastle Royal Grammar School and Corpus Christi, Oxford. He graduated as doctor of civil law. He was raised to the peerage as Baron Stowell upon the coronation of George IV in 1821. 

Thomas Phillips was born in Dudley, Warwickshire, of modest means. He took up an apprenticeship with a stained glass painter, before moving to London in 1790 to study at the Royal Academy and work in the studio of Sir Benjamin West. Phillips exhibited work at the Academy between 1794 and 1844. In 1808, he was elected a Royal Academician and, in 1825, succeeded Henry Fuseli as Professor of Painting at the Academy. Phillips was a prolific artist, as demonstrated by the 859 portraits listed in his sitters’ notebook. However, today only about 300 portraits by the artist are known to survive.
Charles Turner was born in Woodstock, Oxfordshire; the son of an excise officer. At a young age he moved to London, where he was apprenticed to engraver John Jones and studied at the Royal Academy schools. He later produced work in mezzotint, aquatint and stipple for publishers in London and Scotland. He also began publishing his own prints in 1796. In 1812 he was appointed Engraver-in-Ordinary to George III. He was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1828. Throughout his career he is thought to have produced 638 portrait engravings and over 300 subject engravings. These were generally made after works by contemporary artists, such as Raeburn, Lawrence and J. M. W. Turner, with whom the engraver enjoyed a long standing friendship.

People

William, Baron Stowell Scott (1745 - 1836)

Places

Subjects

male portrait, legal costume, wig, judge, Baron, Member of Parliament, armchair, curtain

Materials & Techniques

mezzotint

Artist

Thomas Phillips (1770 - 1845)
Charles Turner (1774 - 1857)

Title

William Scott, Baron Stowell (1745-1836) maritime and international lawyer and judge

Date

Medium

Mezzotint

Acquisition

Purchased from Mrs Dorothy Lane, February 1958

GAC number

4490