Atkinson, George (McKechnie Section 6)

See Section Two for main entry

As well as a painter of silhouettes, Atkinson was a drawing master (as stated on Trade Label No. 3) and a painter in water-colour. For he advertises coloured work on Trade Label No. 4, and two full-length profiles by him, painted in colour on card, are known; both were reproduced as prints by E. Scriven (1775- 1841). One of these profiles (representing the Duke of York) is illustrated. I do not know the whereabouts of the other profile. The sitter, stated by Jackson to have been George III, is much more likely to have been George IV; she gives the date of publication of the print as 20th April 1825. Whether Atkinson also painted bust-length profile miniatures is not known.

The two full-length profiles appear to have been well painted. The figure of the Duke of York is shown in profile to dexter, and is set against a background which presumably represents the Steine in Brighton. The perspective of the building appears to be accurate, and trees are shown with skill. Atkinson has been less skilful in rendering the Duke's legs, which are awkwardly placed, so that the viewer is not

sure whether or not the Duke posed with them crossed; this fault may be accounted for by the artist's relatively slight experience with full-length, as opposed to bust-length work.

In the entry on G. A. Crowhurst in Section One I suggest that this artist's double silhouette portrait of the two Royal brothers was made up from Atkinson's two portraits, which, as prints, would have been easily accessible to Crowhurst. As I have mentioned, the engraved portrait of George IV (as I think the sitter must have been) was published in 1825, and that of the Duke of York probably at the same date. On his silhouette Crowhurst has corrected the awkward stance of the Duke's legs.

Ill. 1522