Samuel Shelley
1756 - 1808
Born in Whitechapel, he began to exhibit at the Royal Academy in 1774. In his time he was considered a near rival to Cosway in miniature painting; he was prolific painter of historical and literary subjects in water-colour, and a founder member of the ‘Old’ Water Colour Society in 1804. He died in London.
Text © Wallace Collection, 2017