Abraham Wivell
(1786-1849), Portrait painterArtist associated with 77 portraits
In 1799 Wivell was apprenticed to a wigmaker and hairdresser. He set up his own hairdressing business and, always interested in art, he advertised his portraiture skills by exhibiting miniatures in his shop window. Wivell produced a sketch of Queen Caroline that came to her notice; she gave him a sitting so he could complete the portrait. He received wider attention when his portraits of the participants of the queen's trial in the House of Lords were published. Wivell obtained many portrait commissions from the royal family, the aristocracy and society members. He painted the portraits of nearly 200 members of parliament for a view of the interior of the House of Commons published by Bowyer and Parkes.
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