John Higton
| John Higton | |
|---|---|
| Born |
2 April 1775 Frederick County, Virginia |
| Died | 23 December 1827 (aged 51) Southwark, London, England |
| Nationality | English / Virginian |
| Known for | Animal painting |
| Movement | English School |
| Patron(s) | Lord Sedley (Henry Venables-Vernon, 3rd Baron Vernon); George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick |
John Higton (2 April 1775 – 23 December 1827) was an English animal painter, who exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts. He was a friend of Edward Dayes and Thomas Campbell, and his patrons included Lord Sedley (Henry Venables-Vernon, 3rd Baron Vernon) and George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick
John Higton was born in Virginia in 1775, the son of John Higton, Sr. His father was a cotton planter and Loyalist, who served in Cornwallis' Central Division. John Higton, Sr. was granted land in Godmanchester, Quebec, but returned to Britain with Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, and became a cotton merchant, establishing John Higton & Co in London. While Higton considered himself an Englishman, he looked back on his boyhood in North America with fondness. He would recount his earliest memories were as a Hammerman assisting the Blacksmiths of the Division's Ordnance Corps tend the forge and horses.
Higton was privately educated, and was encouraged to paint from an early age by his father, who he succeeded in business. He was a follower of Edward Dayes, however it is thought he was given support to develop his own style and exhibit his paintings by Mr. Wheble, the editor of The Sporting Magazine, who said of him in 1813, whilst commenting on J. M. W. Turner and John Constable, that: "Portraits of Dogs at Ampthill Park - Both of these performances have merit. The last is to us, who have watched the improving style of Mr. Higton, a proof that perseverance and study will always be sure to succeed."
John fell in love with Mary Sheldon, the cousin of John Sheldon who was at that time Professor of Anatomy at the Royal Academy, and they were married in 1794. They lived in Southwark, London, and attended Church at St Mary's, being acquainted with William Blake. Higton was well known to a number of publishers including Wheble and his friend John Nichols.
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