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Vauxhall History

Published by The Vauxhall Society in London

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Samuel Prout (1783-1852)

25 February 2012

Samuel Prout by William Henry Hunt
Samuel Prout by William Henry Hunt

Samuel Prout was born in 1783 and studied at Plymouth Grammar School. As a teenager he tried to earn a living as an illustrator and accompanied the historical painter B. R. Haydon on a tour of Devon and produced some good work but in 1796 his drawings of Cornwall for the publisher John Britton were considered not of a consistently high standard and it took a further 6 years before Britton would employ him again. While trying to improve his style, by studying the great landscape artists, he dabbled in the newly-invented art of lithography and earned a living painting marine pieces, teaching and producing drawing books for art students.

He moved to London in 1812 and lived for a time in Kennington Road, for many years in Stockwell.

In 1819 he became a member of the Old Watercolour Society and took his first overseas trip. It was in France that he first found his niche, painting gothic buildings with great precision in a natural but picturesque style with good use of natural light and shade. Ill health plagued Prout but this did not stop him travelling widely in Europe, but after a trip to Normandy in 1846 he became so ill that he was unable to work again. He died in February 1852.

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Vauxhall History

Vauxhall History is an online archive of knowledge and images covering aspects of the history of the Vauxhall area in south London.
Vauxhall History is supported by The Vauxhall Society.

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Vauxhall History is edited by Dr Ross Davie and Naomi Clifford. Consultant editor is David E. Coke.

Potential contributors or those wishing to reproduce material from the site in part or whole should contact us

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