About
Remembered for his portraits of Edward Cornwallis, Lady Caroline Howard, and other prominent figures, this eighteenth-century artist co-founded and served as president of the Royal Academy of Arts.
Before Fame
At the age of seventeen, he became an apprentice to the London-based portrait artist Thomas Hudson.
Trivia
He painted in the "Grand Manner" common among his artistic contemporaries, meaning that his paintings idealized his subjects' imperfections.
Family Life
His older sister, Mary Palmer, was a prominent writer; her best known work is a vernacular piece titled Devonshire Dialogue.
Associated With
He painted a 1784 portrait of the Welsh actress Sarah Siddons.
