Henry Edridge A.R.A Portrait Of A Gentleman 1805

Henry Edridge A.R.A 1768-1821. Portrait of a seated Gentleman. Signed and dated lower left 1805. Pencil and wash drawing on wove paper laid onto backing mount some slight age discoloration. 22.8 by 32.3 cms. Provenance: Arnold Fellows Collection No.183

Henry Edridge was born in Paddington, apprenticed to the mezzotint engraver Wiliam Pether. From 1784 he studied at the Royal Academy Schools, where his work was much admired by the President Sir Joshua Reynolds. In 1786 he was awarded the silver medal and in the same year began exhibiting at the Academy, showing a total of 261 works up until his death in 1821. As well as being a highly talented miniaturist, Edridge painted works on paper and his small, full-length figures in landscapes gained him great repute and success, painting prominent figures such as Lord Nelson and Prime Minister William Pitt.