John Absolon
English painter, illustrator, watercolorist, soldier & colonist
born 1815- died 1895
John Absolon was a painter of
landscape, seascape and genre in both oil and watercolour, and a
book illustrator. He began his career as a painter of theatrical
scenery at Covent Garden.
His first exhibition was at the
Royal Society of British Artists in 1832 at the age of 17. He went
to Paris in 1835, and on his return in 1838 became a member of the
NWS, of which he later became Treasurer.
In 1850 he helped T. Grieve and W.
Telbin to produce the first diorama, ‘The Route of the Overland Mail
to India’. He exhibited mainly at the NWS, also at the RA, British
Institution and Royal Society of British Artists.
Hardie praised his watercolours for
their ‘fresh and breezy manner’.
