Amongst the worthies of Truro who have left 'footprints on the sands
of time,' there are few more deserving of remembrance than Henry Bone,
the only Royal Academician that his native place ever produced. He was
born on February the 6th, 1755, and was the son of a cabinet-maker
and carver, who is said to have been a clever workman, and to have
carved the old pulpit of St. Mary's Church, Truro. One of the same
name, and perhaps of the same family, a Walter Bone, was Mayor of Truro
in 1708. In 1767 the family removed to Plymouth, and in 1771 Bone,
showing artistic tastes, was apprenticed to the ingenious William
Cookworthy, a druggist there, who discovered the secret of making
hard-paste porcelain, in England, out of Cornish granite and clay, and
who thereupon established the Plymouth China Works. In 1772 Bone's
master removed to Bristol, where, in conjunction with the Champions,
to whom he had become related by marriage, Cookworthy established the
equally celebrated Bristol Porcelain Works. Bone accompanied him; and
here he remained until 1778, working from six in the morning to six in
the evening in the factory, and after that improving himself in the art
of drawing. It is considered that the best painting executed at the
Bristol Works was by Bone, and he is believed to have used the figure
1 in addition to the factory-mark +. Bristol pieces so marked are now
very rare.
On the failure in business of his new master, Champion, in 1778, Bone,
in the following year, came to London, with one guinea of his own
in his pocket, and £5 lent to him by his friend, Morris, a cooper.
At first he found employment in enameling watches, etc.; but this
work failing him, owing to a change of the fashion, he commenced
miniature-painting in water-colours on ivory, and also in enamel. Here
it may be noted that he was employed first on enamel-painting, etc.,
by Randle and Co., Paternoster Row; and also on painting fans for
Crowder and Co., Foster Lane. His distinguishing excellence is said to
have been that he used enamel paints just as other colours, instead
of, according to the feeble practice of the day, first mixing _on the
palette_ every colour to be used. His predecessor in this art was
Horace Hone; but the latter's work was, in many respects, very inferior
to that of the Cornish artist.
Dr. Wolcot (Peter Pindar) early recognised his merit, as he also did
that of Opie, and recommended Bone to make annual painting tours
into Cornwall; but increasing work in town compelled him at length
to give up these congenial trips. On the 24th January, 1780, he
married Elizabeth Vandermeulen, a descendant of Philip Vandermeulen,
battle-painter to William III.; and Bone's first picture, exhibited
at the Royal Academy in the same year, was an enamel painting of his
newly-married wife. This enamel was of the then unusual size of two and
a half inches in height, and Bone's complete success on this occasion
led him now to determine on setting up on his own account instead of
working for others. In 1782 his own portrait followed. These works
brought him into prominent notice, and numerous patrons came to his
studio. Giving his entire attention now to enamel-painting,--which has
been well called 'painting for eternity,'--he completed, in 1789, 'A
Muse and Cupid,' from his own design, of a greater size than had ever
before been executed by this process.[69]
In 1794 we find him exhibiting 'The Sleeping Girl,' after Sir Joshua
Reynolds; and in 1797 a portrait of Lord Eglinton, which attracted
the attention of the Prince of Wales, who appointed him, in 1800,
his enamel-painter, and became a generous patron to him afterwards.
In the following year he was elected Associate of the Royal Academy,
and enamel-painter to George III.; and he occupied the same post
under George IV. and William IV. He subsequently executed several
fine enamels, mostly after Sir Joshua Reynolds, and also a fine piece
after Leonardo da Vinci. On 15th April, 1811, he was elected Royal
Academician, and shortly after produced the largest enamel which had
ever been painted up to that time, viz., a copy of the 'Bacchus and
Ariadne' in the National Gallery, after Titian, eighteen by sixteen
inches. This picture was considered so marvellous a production that
more than 4,000 persons went to inspect it at Bone's house; and it was
at length sold to Mr. G. Bowles, of Cavendish Square and Wanstead, for
2,200 guineas. The story goes, on the authority of Mr. George Bone, of
Blackheath, that this sum was paid in the form of a cheque drawn on
Fauntleroy's Bank. Bone cashed it on his way home, in order to have the
pleasure of showing to his wife so huge a sum in coin. The following
day the notorious forgeries and frauds were discovered, and the firm
was bankrupt. But according to a writer in the 'Annual Biography' for
1836, who seems to have been well acquainted with Bone, the amount was
paid partly in cash and partly by a draft.
Bone next undertook, in addition to enamel portraits and copies from
the ancient masters, a series of historical portraits, mostly of
the time of Elizabeth. They were of great merit, but unsuccessful
financially. These were exhibited at his house, 15 Berners Street, near
that of his friend Opie, No. 8, who painted Bone's portrait.[70] There
were also portraits of the Cavaliers distinguished in the Civil War,
painted for J. P. Old; as well as portraits of the Russell family, from
the reign of Henry VII., for the Duke of Bedford. A catalogue of the
last-named was privately printed in 1825, and there is a copy of it in
the South Kensington Museum.
In 1831 failing eyesight compelled him to retire to Somers Town, and
reluctantly to receive the Academy pension; but owing to the expensive
professions adopted by his sons, there was no alternative. Here he
died of paralysis on December 17th, 1834. Some time before his death
Bone offered his works, which were valued at £10,000, to the nation
for £4,000. This offer was declined, and some time afterwards, viz.,
22nd April, 1836, they were sold by auction at Christie and Manson's,
realizing about 2,000 guineas, and so were scattered far and wide.
Other important sales of Bone's enamels took place on the following
dates, viz.: 1st May, 1846; 25th April, 1850; 10th May, 1854; and 13th
and 14th March, 1856.
Bone had a large family--twelve, it is believed; of whom ten survived.
His eldest son, Henry Pierce Bone, born November 6th, 1779, first
exhibited at the Academy in 1799. He commenced enamel-painting in 1833,
was appointed enamel-painter to Queen Adelaide, and afterwards to her
present Majesty and the Prince Consort; and in the course of fifty-six
years he exhibited 210 miniatures and enamels. He died in London,
October 21st, 1855. Bone's grandsons (W. Bone and C. K. Bone) are also
enamelers.
Robert Trewick Bone, the third son, born September 24th, 1790, was a
subject-painter of some ability. He died from the effects of a hurt,
May 5th, 1840. One son, Thomas, a midshipman, was wrecked and drowned,
in the _Racehorse_, sloop, off the Isle of Man. Another, Peter, a
lieutenant in the 36th Regiment, was wounded at the battle of Toulouse,
and died soon after his return to England; and another of Bone's sons
was called to the bar.
Of Henry Bone's private character, it was truly said, by one who
knew him well, that 'unaffected modesty, generosity, friendship, and
undeviating integrity adorned his private life;' and as to his artistic
merits, it is no exaggeration to say that he was 'unequalled in Europe
for the perfect truth and enduring brilliancy of his productions.'
A voluminous list, prepared by the late Mr. J. Jope Rogers, of the
works of art produced by the various members of the Bone family, will
be found in the 'Journal of the Royal Institution of Cornwall,' No.
XXII., for March, 1880. It shows a total of 1,063 recorded works by
this gifted family, nearly half of which were painted by the principal
subject of this brief memoir.
Chantrey executed a fine bust of Henry Bone, which has been well
engraved by Thomson; and there is another portrait of him, as an
elderly man, which was painted by Harlow, and engraved by F. C. Lewis
in 1824.