(1829 - 1891)
Edwin Longsden Long was born in Bath. He enrolled at James Matthew Leigh’s School of Art in London in 1846, returning to Bath to begin his career. In 1857, he moved back to London. A trip to Spain with painter John Phillip had a lasting effect on Long and for some 17 years his work showed a Spanish influence. In 1874 he travelled through Egypt and Syria; resulting in the painting ‘Babylonian Marriage Market’ (1875). Following the work’s critical acclaim, Long specialised in well-researched depictions of the ancient world. He was elected a Royal Academician in 1881 and Agnew & Sons commissioned several works, including a series of paintings to coincide with the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. He died of pneumonia at his home in Hampstead, aged 61.
