John Eagles

John Eagles (1783–1855), was an English artist and author. His essays, mainly in art criticism, appeared in Blackwood's Magazine and were collected and published after his death. He also produced poetry and translations.

Eagles, the son of Thomas Eagles, was born in the parish of St Augustine, Bristol in 1783, and baptised 8 November of that year. After receiving some preliminary training under the Rev. Samuel Seyer at Bristol, he was admitted a pupil of Winchester College on 9 July 1797, and continued there until 16 July 1802. His wish was to become a landscape-painter. He went on a tour in Italy, and tried to form his style on Gaspard Poussin and Salvator Rosa. While in Italy he narrowly escaped death when sketching on a tier of the Colosseum in Rome. When on his way to draw the Three Temples of Paestum, between Salerno and Eboli he fell in with banditti, and was "literally stript to the skin."

Both adventures are related in his book The Sketcher. He had, too, the reputation of being a good etcher, and in 1823 published six examples after his idol, G. Poussin. In 1809 he was an unsuccessful candidate for admission in the Water-Colour Society. At length he determined to take orders, and with that view entered Wadham College, Oxford. He took the two degrees in arts, B.A. 14 January 1812, M.A. 13 May 1818. His first curacy was that of St Nicholas, Bristol. In 1822 he removed with his family to the curacy of Halberton in Devonshire, where he resided for twelve or thirteen years. For the last five years of this time Sydney Smith was his rector. From Halberton he removed to the curacy of Winford, near Bristol, and thence to Kinnersley in Herefordshire, "where he held the living for a friend;" but in 1841, relinquishing all regular duty, he returned to live near his birthplace. He died at King's Parade, Clifton, Bristol, on 8 November 1855. He left a numerous family.

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