Frederick Richard Lee (British, 1798 to 1879)
Lee was a popular and financially successful painter who created idealized scenes of the English countryside. An accomplished artist, he combined detailed, accurate depictions of nature with rustic elements, often incorporating figures, cottages, and farms into his works.
Lee’s style and subject appealed to the English upper classes, and many of his works entered private collections, where they remain to this day. Lee entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1818. He was made an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1834 and a full Academician in 1838.
Information courtesy of Neal Auction Company, April 2008.
Born in Barstaple, Devon, Frederick Richard Lee served in the Army before receiving his art training at the Royal Academy Schools. Lee painted genre scenes as well as landscapes, predominately views of Scotland or his native Devon, and is best known for his fluid compositions and idyllic settings. A prolific artist, he was elected to the Royal Academy in 1838 and exhibited his work there, as well as at the British Institution and the Society of British Artists.
Reference: Wood, Christopher. The Dictionary of Victorian Painters. 2nd ed. Antique Collector’s Club: Woodbridge, England. 1978. p. 279.
Information courtesy of Skinner Inc., November 2008.