Brewer's: Scene Painters

The most celebrated are -

Inigo Jones, who introduced the first appropriate decorations for masques. D'Avenant, who produced perspective scenes in 1656, for The Siege of Rhodes. Betterton was the first to improve the scenic effects in “Dorset Gardens:” his artist was Streater. John Rich may be called the great reformer of stage scenery in “Covent Garden.”

Richards, secretary of the Royal Academy; especially successful in The Maid of the Mill. His son was one of the most celebrated of our scenepainters.

Philip James de Loutherbourg was the greatest scene-artist up to Garrick's time. He produced the scenes for The Winter's Tale, at the request of that great actor.

John Kemble engaged William Capon, a pupil of Novosielski, to furnish him with scenery for Shakespeare's historic plays.

Patrick Nasmyth, in the North, produced several unrivalled scenes.

Stanfield is well known for his scene of Acis and Galate'a.

William Beverley is the greatest scene-painter of modern times.

Frank Hayman, Thomas Dall, John Laguerre, William Hogarth, Robert Dighton, Charles Dibdin, David Roberts, Grieve, and Phillips have all aided in improving scene-painting.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894

Scene Plot

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