A Philosopher Showing an Experiment on the Air Pump, Valentine Green (British, 1739-1813) after Joseph Wright of Derby (English, 1734–1797), published 1769
Louise Ingram Rayner (21 June 1832 – 8 October 1924) was a British watercolor artist. She lived in Chester in the Welsh Marches but travelled extensively, painting British scenes, during the summers in 1870s and 1880s. Her paintings are very detailed and highly picturesque populated street scenes capturing the “olde worlde” character of British towns and cities in the booming Victorian period.
Born in 1733, Mary Moser’s father, George Michael Moser (1706-1783); an accomplished Swiss engraver, taught and nurtured her impressive talent and she exhibited her work when only 14. Throughout her life she would become recognised for her beautifully detailed flower works, as well as becoming one of only two female founding members of the Royal Academy. In 1771, fellow member Johann Zoffany (1733-1810) painted a group portrait of the founders, in which neither Mary or Angelica Kauffman (1741-1807) were actually “present” in. At the time, it was considered immodest for women to be close to nude male models. Instead, Zoffany painted them symbolically with their own portraits hanging on the wall (seen to the right).
The Portraits of the Academicians of the Royal Academy, 1771-72, Johann Zoffany (1733-1810)
Royalty was not blind to Mary’s talents, because around 1792, Queen Charlotte commissioned her to decorate a floral room in the Frogmore House. This room is known today as the Mary Moser Room.
Mary was a renowned artist during her time, and a bit of a scandalous one at that. After marrying in the 1790′s, she retired her professional name and only entered in amateur exhibitions under her married name. She died in 1819, at the age of 74.
Above: Both titled A Vase of Flowers (1792-97), by Mary Moser (1744-1819)
The King on His Dragon Fights His Way Through the Monsters to the Queen and Muffette, from The Frog and Lion Fairy for Andrew Lang’s The Orange Fairy Book by Henry Justice Ford (1906)
