PROUT, Samuel

1783 - 1852

Samuel Prout was born at Devonport, Devon on 17 September 1783 and baptised on 30 November 1783, fourth of fourteen children of Samuel Prout, a naval outfitter who was buried on 27 August 1832, and his wife Mary née Cater who married at Plymstock, Devon on 3 February 1779. Young Samuel was educated at Plymouth Grammar School where the headmaster was John Bidlake (1755–1814) author, artist, and educator. One of his school friends was artist Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786-1846) and together they spent time drawing the quiet cottages, rustic bridges, and watermills of Devon. In 1803 he moved to London and married in 1810, Elizabeth Gillespie, they had three daughters and a son, with Samuel earning his living by painting marine pieces for London print-seller Thomas Palser (1776-1860), taking in students and published drawing books for learners. In 1818, Prout made his first visit to the Continent and made his reputation with the street scenes and there was hardly a place in France, Germany, Italy, or the Netherlands where his face had not been seen searching for antique gables and sculptured pieces of stone to paint. A founder member of the Old Water-Colour Society and in 1829, Prout secured the position of Painter in Water-Colours in Ordinary to King George IV and afterwards to Queen Victoria. One of the masters of British watercolour and exhibited at the Suffolk Fine Arts Association at Ipswich in 1850 two watercolours, 'A View of Sydney, New South Wales' and 'A Coast Scene near Sydney'. Samuel Prout died after a stroke at his home, 5 De Crespigny Terrace, Denmark Hill, London on 10 February 1852, and buried in West Norwood Cemetery. His son Samuel Gillespie Prout (1822-1911) followed in his father's footsteps as an artist.

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Works by This Artist