Charles Robert Leslie

Charles Robert Leslie, an American genre painter, was celebrated for bringing literary scenes to life on canvas, from Shakespeare to Cervantes.

ABOUT

Born in London to American parents in 1794, Charles Robert Leslie moved to Philadelphia at the age of five. Though initially apprenticed to a bookseller, his passion lay in painting and drama. A striking portrait he created of actor George Frederick Cooke from memory impressed his community so much that they raised funds for him to study art in Europe. In 1811, Leslie embarked for London, where he found mentorship from influential figures like Benjamin West and Washington Ir…

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NOTABLE WORKS

Child in a Landscape (from McGuire Scrapbook) 1794 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Charles Robert Leslie 1814 · National Portrait Gallery Murder of Rutland by Lord Clifford 1815 · Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Benjamin West 1817 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston Sir Walter Scott 1824 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston Tom Purdie (d.1829) 1824 · Abbotsford House

See all of Charles's works in Art Whisper

INFLUENCES

Influenced by

Benjamin WestNeoclassicism/History Painting Henry FuseliRomanticism