Stephen Slaughter

Stephen Slaughter (baptised 1697, died 1765) was an English portrait painter.^[1] He spent periods of his career in Dublin, where he introduced the English style of portrait painting.^[2]

Life

He was the son of Stephen and Judith Slaughter, was baptised in London, and had the artist Judith Lewis as a sister.^[1] It has been claimed that John Lewis (fl. 1737–1769), also an artist, was Slaughter's brother-in-law; but it is disputed whether Lewis was the husband of Judith Slaughter.^[3][4] Slaughter studied under Godfrey Kneller from 1712.^[1] In 1720, on the account of Joseph Highmore, he was at the London academy of Louis Cheron and John Vanderbank.^[5]

There followed a long period abroad, in France and Flanders. Returning in 1732–33 to London, Slaughter then set up in Dublin during 1734, paying a longer visit in the 1740s.^[6] Slaughter influenced in particular Thomas Frye, as did James Latham.^[7]

In 1745 Slaughter became Surveyor of the King's Pictures, in succession to Peter Walton.^[1] From 1748 he spent time on picture restoration.^[6] On 14 July 1765, two months after his death, he was elected to the Accademia del Disegno, with William Oram.^[8]

Portraits

Portrait of Major General Richard St George, 1744, by Stephen Slaughter

• 1736 Sir Hans Sloane^[9]
• 1737 Hon. John Spencer^[9]
• 1737 Lady Georgiana Spencer, wife of the Hon. John Spencer^[9]
• 1742 Sir Robert Walpole^[1]
• 1744 William Stewart, 1st Earl of Blessington^[10]
• 1744 Major General Richard St George^[11]
• 1744 Henry Boyle, 1st Earl of Shannon^[12]
• 1744 John Hoadly^[9]
• 1753 Sir George Lee^[13]
• Nathaniel Kane^[9]

Notes

1. Lauze, Emma. "Slaughter, Stephen". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/25721. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
2. Ciaran Brady (2000). The Encyclopedia of Ireland: An A-Z Guide to Its People, Places, History, and Culture. Oxford University Press. p. 292. ISBN 978-0-19-521685-1.
3. Laffan, William (1999). "'Taste, Elegance and Execution': John Lewis as a Landscape Painter". Irish Arts Review Yearbook. 15: 151–153. JSTOR 20493057.
4. Lord, Peter (2005). "The Two Lives of John Lewis". Irish Arts Review. 22 (1): 114–119. JSTOR 25503176.
5. Warren Mild (1990). Joseph Highmore of Holborn Row. Mild Associates. p. 175. ISBN 978-0-9627517-0-7.
6. "National Portrait Gallery - British picture restorers, 1600-1950 - S". Retrieved 27 May 2015.
7. "Thomas Frye, Irish Portrait Painter: Biography, Paintings". Retrieved 27 May 2015.
8. Wynne, Michael (1990). "Members from Great Britain and Ireland of the Florentine Accademia del Disegno 1700-1855". The Burlington Magazine. 132 (1049): 535–538. JSTOR 884351.
9. Lee, Sidney, ed. (1899). "Slaughter, Stephen" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 59. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
10. Ric Berman (1 August 2013). Schism: The Battle That Forged Freemasonry. Sussex Academic Press. p. viii. ISBN 978-1-78284-006-0.
11. Of Kilrush House, Freshford, County Kilkenny. See Great Irish Households.
12. E. M. Johnston-Liik (2006). MPs in Dublin: Companion to History of the Irish Parliament, 1692-1800. Ulster Historical Foundation. p. v. ISBN 978-1-903688-60-1.
13. "Sir George Lee, Stephen Slaughter, Tate". Retrieved 27 May 2015.