Biography
Richard Ansdell RA (11 May 1815 – 20 April 1885) was a British painter of animals and genre scenes. He first exhibited at the Liverpool Academy in 1835, becoming a student there the following year. His animal and rural subjects proved to be popular and he soon attracted wealthy patrons. His first exhibition at the Royal Academy, London, was in 1840, and he went on to exhibit pictures every year at the academy until 1885 (149 canvases in all). In 1846 he exhibited his first picture, “A Drover’s Halt” at the British Institution, London, and went on to show 30 canvases there.
Ansdell frequently collaborated with other painters, including Thomas Creswick, William Powell Frith, and John Phillip. In 1855, Ansdell was awarded a gold medal at the Paris Exhibition. He also won the Heywood Medal three times for his work at the Manchester Royal Institution. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy (ARA) in 1861 and a Royal Academician (RA) in 1870.
The largest public collections of Ansdell’s paintings in Britain are in Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery, the Lytham St Annes Art Collection, and Preston’s Harris Museum.
Nationality:
British
Dates:
May 11, 1815 – April 20, 1885
Occupation:
Painter
Schools attended:
Student of:
Teacher of: