George Michael Moser

George Michael Moser RA (17 January 1706 – 24 January 1783) was a renowned artist and enameller of the 18th century, father of celebrated floral painter Mary Moser, and, with his daughter, among the founder members of the Royal Academy in 1768.

He was the son of Michael Moser, an eminent Swiss engineer and worker in metal. Moser was born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland and trained initially as a coppersmith in Geneva. He later learnt additional skills as a chaser, goldsmith and engraver.

He moved to London during the 1720s and married Mary Guynier. Surviving metal works by him include elaborate gold snuffboxes and watch-cases (including movements by noted watchmakers George Philip Strigel and John Ellicott, among others), and silver candlesticks in the Rococo style.

He subsequently rose to be head of his profession as a gold-chaser, medallist, and enameller, and was particularly distinguished for the compositions in enamel with which he ornamented the backs of watches, bracelets, and other trinkets. A beautiful example of this work was a watch-case executed for Queen Charlotte, adorned with whole-length figures of her two eldest children, for which he received 'a hatful of guineas.' Moser was drawing-master to George III during his boyhood, and on his accession to the throne was employed to engrave his first great seal. When the art school afterwards known as the St. Martin's Lane Academy was established about 1736, in Greyhound Court, Strand, he became manager and treasurer, and continued in that position until the school was absorbed in the Royal Academy.

...
Wikipedia