James Leakey (1773–1865) was a notable English artist hailing from Exeter, Devon. Over his long life, he established a reputation primarily as a painter of miniatures, oil portraits, landscapes, and genre scenes. His work, though perhaps not as widely known today as some of his more famous contemporaries, reflects the artistic currents of his time and demonstrates considerable skill, particularly in the delicate art of miniature painting and the depiction of his native Devonian scenery. He was an artist who engaged with the established art institutions of his day, exhibiting at the Royal Academy, and whose career was noted by contemporary chroniclers of the art world.
Early Life and Artistic Inclinations
Born in Exeter in 1773, James Leakey emerged into an England where the arts were flourishing, particularly portraiture and landscape painting. His father, James Shirley Leakey, was himself a portrait painter, suggesting that the young James was exposed to artistic practice from an early age. This familial connection likely provided him with initial training and encouragement in pursuing an artistic career.
A significant, albeit ultimately unfulfilled, opportunity arose in Leakey's youth concerning the pre-eminent portrait painter of the era, Sir Joshua Reynolds. Reynolds, also a Devonian, was the first President of the Royal Academy and a towering figure in British art. It is recorded that Leakey was intended to join Sir Joshua Reynolds's studio. However, Reynolds passed away in 1792, when Leakey was about nineteen years old, preventing this apprenticeship. While he did not formally study under Reynolds, the very prospect suggests that Leakey's early talent was recognized and considered promising enough for such a prestigious placement. The influence of Reynolds's style, particularly his grand manner portraiture and his emphasis on academic principles, would have been pervasive in the British art scene, and Leakey would undoubtedly have been familiar with his work and teachings.
A Career in Miniature and Landscape Painting
James Leakey's artistic output was diverse, encompassing several popular genres of the late 18th and 19th centuries. He became particularly well-known as a miniaturist. Miniature portraits were highly fashionable, serving as intimate keepsakes and tokens of affection or remembrance. They required meticulous detail and a delicate touch, often painted on ivory or vellum. Leakey's proficiency in this demanding art form contributed significantly to his reputation. One example of his work in this field is a miniature portrait of Elizabeth Foulkes, noted as being executed on card and measuring 108 millimetres.
Beyond miniatures, Leakey also worked in oils, producing portraits on a larger scale, though specific examples of these are less frequently cited than his miniatures or landscapes. His landscape paintings often drew inspiration from his native Devon, capturing the county's picturesque scenery. This regional focus was common among artists of the period, who found ample subject matter in the British countryside, a trend encouraged by the Picturesque movement and a growing national pride in local landscapes, especially as continental travel became more difficult during the Napoleonic Wars.
Leakey also ventured into genre painting, depicting scenes of everyday life. These works often featured figures within landscape settings, combining his skills in both areas. His coastal scenes, sometimes compared to those of the marine painter Thomas Luny (1759–1837), depicted the maritime life and scenery around areas like Dartmouth or the coast between Exeter and Torquay, often including fishermen and their activities. Luny, who also had strong Devon connections, was a prolific painter of naval battles and coastal views, and any comparison suggests Leakey achieved a similar atmospheric quality and attention to detail in his maritime subjects.
Exhibitions and Recognition
A significant measure of an artist's professional standing during this period was acceptance into the exhibitions of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. James Leakey achieved this recognition, exhibiting his works at the Royal Academy over a considerable span of time, from 1821 to 1846. This period of over two decades of consistent exhibition indicates that his work met the standards of the Academy's selection committees and was regularly seen by the London art public and critics. The Royal Academy, founded in 1768 with Sir Joshua Reynolds as its first president, was the principal venue for contemporary art in Britain, and exhibiting there was crucial for an artist's reputation and commercial success.
Leakey's activities and reputation were also noted by Joseph Farington (1747–1821), a landscape painter and a Royal Academician whose extensive diaries provide an invaluable, detailed account of the London art world from 1793 until his death. Farington's mentions of Leakey underscore his presence within the artistic community. The fact that Leakey received an obituary in The Art Journal, a prominent Victorian art periodical, upon his death in 1865, further attests to his recognized status as an artist of merit.
Representative Works
Several works by James Leakey are known, illustrating the different facets of his artistic practice.
One of his most frequently mentioned paintings is "Landscape with figures and cattle." This oil painting, created in the 19th century, is now housed in the collection of the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter. The title itself suggests a typical picturesque scene, combining landscape elements with pastoral figures and animals, a popular theme in British art that was championed by artists like Thomas Gainsborough in the previous century and continued by many others.
Another work, titled "A Devonshire Scene," further emphasizes his connection to his local environment. While the specific details of this painting by Leakey are not extensively described in the provided snippets, its title aligns with his known focus on Devonian landscapes. It's worth noting that a painting with a similar theme, "A Devonshire Scene," was also attributed to David Messum in 1973, indicating the enduring appeal of such subjects, though this is a later work by a different artist, likely referencing the style or subject matter associated with artists like Leakey.
His oil paintings on canvas depicting coastal scenes between Dartmouth or Exeter and Torquay, featuring fishermen, highlight his contribution to marine and genre painting. These works, as mentioned, drew comparisons to Thomas Luny, suggesting a competence in capturing the specifics of maritime life and the coastal atmosphere.
The miniature of Elizabeth Foulkes serves as a concrete example of his work in this specialized field, showcasing his ability to capture a likeness on a small, intimate scale.
The Artistic Context: Contemporaries of James Leakey
James Leakey's long career (1773-1865) spanned a period of immense change and dynamism in British art. He was a contemporary of some of the most celebrated figures in art history.
In his early years, the towering figures were still those of the late 18th century. Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792) and Thomas Gainsborough (1727–1788) had defined British portraiture and landscape. Although Gainsborough died when Leakey was a teenager and Reynolds shortly after, their influence was profound and lasting.
As Leakey matured, he would have witnessed the rise of Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769–1830), who became the leading portrait painter after Reynolds and President of the Royal Academy. Lawrence's dazzling, flamboyant style set the tone for portraiture in the Regency and early Victorian eras.
In landscape painting, Leakey's contemporaries included the giants J.M.W. Turner (1775–1851) and John Constable (1776–1837). Turner, born just two years after Leakey, revolutionized landscape painting with his dramatic, light-filled, and often abstract depictions of nature and historical events. Constable, slightly younger, focused on the detailed and affectionate portrayal of the English countryside, particularly his native Suffolk. While Leakey's landscapes were more traditional, he worked in an era defined by these masters' innovations.
In the field of miniature painting, Leakey followed in the tradition of earlier masters like Richard Cosway (1742–1821) and George Engleheart (1750–1829), who were dominant figures at the turn of the century. Contemporaries in miniature painting included Andrew Robertson (1777–1845), a highly successful Scottish miniaturist who also worked in London and advocated for a more robust, less idealized style in miniatures.
Other notable artists of the period include Benjamin West (1738–1820), an American-born painter who succeeded Reynolds as President of the Royal Academy and was known for his large-scale historical paintings. The Scottish portraitist Sir Henry Raeburn (1756–1823) was renowned for his strong, characterful portraits.
Within Exeter and the Devon region, Leakey would have been aware of other local artists. Francis Towne (c.1739/40–1816), though older, was a significant watercolour landscape artist with strong Exeter connections, known for his distinctive, linear style. John White Abbott (1763–1851), an Exeter-born surgeon and amateur artist, produced accomplished landscape paintings and etchings, often depicting Devon scenery, and was influenced by Towne. The aforementioned Thomas Luny (1759–1837), though born in London, spent the latter part of his career working prolifically in Teignmouth, Devon, despite being severely disabled by paralysis. His marine paintings were very popular.
The art world Leakey inhabited was vibrant, with the Royal Academy at its center, but also with a growing number of provincial art societies and a burgeoning market for prints and reproductions. The taste for landscape, genre scenes, and portraiture in various forms, including miniatures, provided ample opportunities for artists with Leakey's skills.
Legacy and Art Historical Evaluation
James Leakey's legacy is primarily that of a skilled and respected provincial artist who made a significant contribution to the artistic life of Exeter and Devon. His work in miniatures was particularly esteemed, a genre that, while perhaps less valued by high art critics than large-scale historical painting, was immensely popular and required considerable technical ability. His connection, however brief, with the circle of Sir Joshua Reynolds, and his long exhibiting career at the Royal Academy, demonstrate his engagement with the mainstream art establishment of his time.
The mentions in Joseph Farington's diary and his obituary in The Art Journal confirm that he was a recognized figure in the contemporary art scene. While he may not have been an innovator on the scale of Turner or Constable, his work faithfully reflects the tastes and artistic conventions of his era. His landscape and genre scenes of Devon contribute to the rich tradition of British regional art, capturing the character of a specific place and its people.
Today, his works are found in public collections, notably the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter, which holds his "Landscape with figures and cattle." His miniatures and other paintings also appear in private collections and occasionally at auction. The survival of these works allows for an appreciation of his careful technique and his dedication to his craft over a long and productive career.
James Leakey represents a class of artists who formed the backbone of the art world in the 19th century: competent, professional, and responsive to the demands of their patrons and the public. While art history often focuses on the avant-garde or the most famous masters, artists like Leakey played a crucial role in disseminating artistic styles, fulfilling the demand for portraits and pleasing landscapes, and enriching the cultural life of their communities. His dedication to depicting his native Devon also makes him an important figure in the county's artistic heritage. He died in Exeter in 1865, leaving behind a body of work that testifies to a long life spent in the pursuit of art.
