The life of this extraordinary genius is full of interest, and his
melancholy fall full of warning and instruction. He was the son of an
indifferent painter, whose principal business was in cleaning and
repairing, and dealing in ancient pictures. Morland showed an
extraordinary talent for painting almost in his infancy, and before he
was sixteen years old, his name was known far and wide by engravings
from his pictures. His father, who seems to have been a man of a low and
sordid disposition, had his son indented to him as an apprentice, for
seven years, in order to secure his services as long as possible, and he
constantly employed him in painting pictures and making drawings for
sale; and these were frequently of a broad character, as such commanded
the best prices, and found the most ready sale. Hence he acquired a
wonderful facility of pencil, but wholly neglected academic study. His
associates were the lowest of the low. On the expiration of his
indenture, he left his father's house, and the remainder of his life is
the history of genius degraded by intemperance and immorality, which
alternately excites our admiration at his great talents, our regrets at
the profligacy of his conduct, and our pity for his misfortunes.
According to his biographer, Mr. George Dawe, who wrote an impartial and
excellent life of Morland, he reached the full maturity of his powers,
about 1790 when he was twenty-six years old; and from that time, they
began and continued to decline till his death in 1804. Poor Morland was
constantly surrounded by a set of harpies, who contrived to get him in
their debt, and then compelled him to paint a picture for a guinea,
which they readily sold for thirty or forty, and which now bring almost
any sum asked for them. Many of his best works were painted in sponging
houses to clear him from arrest.