John Augustus Atkinson

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} thumb|right|''Retreat of the French Grand Army from Moscow, intercepted by Russian Cossack, 1812'', published January 1813 '''John Augustus Atkinson''' ({{circa|1775}} – 25 March 1830) was an English artist and engraver.<ref name="ODNB">{{cite ODNB|id=848|first=Alan|last=Bird|title=Atkinson, John Augustus}}</ref>

==Life== Atkinson was born in London. In 1784, he went to St. Petersburg to his uncle James Walker, engraver to the empress Catherine the Great.<ref>{{cite book|first=William Young|last= Ottley|authorlink=William Young Ottley|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VKzjQ3NLkLMC&pg=PT147|title=Notices of engravers and their works, the commencement of a dictionary which it is not intended to continue|year=1831|page=147}}(Walker is referred to variously as uncle, step father and father in law)</ref> There he studied in the picture galleries, encouraged by Catherine and her son Paul I, and was commissioned by Paul to paint large pictures of Russian history. [[File:Sailors at Prayer on board Lord Nelsons Ship.JPG|right|thumb|Sailors at Prayer on board Lord Nelson's Ship (after the Battle of the Nile).]]

In 1801, Atkinson returned to England, and in 1803 published ''A Picturesque Representation of the Manners, Customs, and Amusements of the Russians'', in 100 plates, drawn and etched by himself. He also painted in watercolours and in 1808 was elected to the Society of Painters in Water Colours.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/oldwatercolourso00royauoft#page/n11/mode/2up/ The 'old' Water-Colour Society, 1804-1904 (1905)]</ref> Many of his works, during the Napoleonic Wars, were of naval subjects. He painted many battle scenes including a ''Battle of Waterloo'', which was engraved by John Burnet.

His last contribution to the Royal Academy exhibition was in 1829. He died on 25 March 1830 in London.<ref name="ODNB"/> His will was dated 1830.<ref>National Archives Public Record Office - Probate Court of Canterbury</ref>

==Selected works==

[[File:British Sailors Boarding a Man of War RMG PU5628.tiff|right|thumb|''British Sailors Boarding a Man of War'' - depicting the recapture of HMS Hermione by the crew of HMS Surprise.]] *''Carriage on Sledges'' 1803 Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://collection.aggv.bc.ca/explore/results.aspx?newSearch=y&artist_search_type=Contains%2B&artist=Atkinson%2C+John+Augustus |title=Art Gallery of Greater Victoria |access-date=7 June 2010 |archive-date=25 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080525104149/http://collection.aggv.bc.ca/explore/results.aspx?newSearch=y&artist_search_type=Contains%2B&artist=Atkinson%2C+John+Augustus |url-status=dead }}</ref> *''A Russian Village'' 1804 Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia *''Golubtza'' 1804 Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia *''Village Amusements'' 1804 Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia *''Scene from Tom Jones'' Courtauld Institute of Art, London<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/search/results.html?_creators=ULAN1323&display=Atkinson%2c+John+Augustus |title=Courtauld Institute of Art |access-date=7 June 2010 |archive-date=4 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104115435/http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/search/results.html?_creators=ULAN1323&display=Atkinson,+John+Augustus |url-status=dead }}</ref> *''The Slack Rope'' Courtauld Institute of Art, London *''A Belgian Waggon with Four Horses'' Tate Gallery, London<ref>[http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ViewWork?cgroupid=999999961&workid=22229&searchid=15845 Tate Gallery]</ref> *''Illustrations to Ossian'' The Huntington Library, California<ref>[http://emuseum.huntington.org/code/emuseum.asp?quicksearch.x=0&quicksearch.y=0&collection=&collectionname=&style=browse&searchcode=&pagesize=6&browsepagesize=6&currentpage=1&sortstring=&action=quicksearch&page=search&linkfieldname=&linkfieldvalue=&singlepage=&currentstate=&rawsearch=&profile=objects&lastsearchstyle=&lastsearchprofile=&lastsearchxml=&wandering=no&searchdesc=&term=John%20Augustus%20Atkinson The Huntington Library, California]</ref> *''Heaving a Lead'' 1807 National Maritime Museum<ref>[http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/search/listResults.cfm?maker=John%20Augustus%20Atkinson&sortBy=maker National Maritime Museum]</ref> *''Greenwich Pensioners'' 1808 National Maritime Museum *''Skating'', 1810 Tyne & Wear Museums, England<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/artonline/search/artistsres.php?artist=Atkinson,+John+Augustus |title=Tyne & Wear Museums Database |access-date=7 June 2010 |archive-date=6 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306040602/http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/artonline/search/artistsres.php?artist=Atkinson%2C%20John%20Augustus |url-status=dead }}</ref> *''Ships of the Reign of King Edward IV'' 1812 - Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco *''42nd Highlanders at Waterloo'' Courtauld Institute of Art, London *''British Sailors Boarding a Man of War'' 1815 National Maritime Museum

==References== {{commons category|John Augustus Atkinson}} {{Reflist}}

==Sources== * {{Bryan (3rd edition)|title=Atkinson, John Augustus |volume=1}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkinson, John Augustus}} Category:1770s births Category:1830 deaths Category:18th-century English painters Category:English male painters Category:19th-century English painters Category:English watercolourists Category:English engravers Category:Painters from London Category:Year of birth uncertain Category:19th-century English male artists Category:18th-century English male artists