Sir John Charles Robinson
(1824-1913), Etcher, museum curator, Art collector and connoisseurSitter in 4 portraits
Robinson trained as a painter in Paris. He returned to England in 1847 and taught at the School of Design in Hanley, Staffordshire. In 1852, he was appointed Curator of the Museum of Ornamental Art at Marlborough House. The collection moved in 1857 to become part of the newly established South Kensington (now the Victoria and Albert) Museum. Robinson built up the museum's collection, notably that of Italian Renaissance sculpture. In the 1860s, he travelled to Spain and Portugal, acquiring many works of art. In 1856, Robinson organised a collectors' club that held receptions and exhibitions. Known as the Fine Arts Club, in 1866 it merged with the Burlington Fine Arts Club, with Robinson as the first president.
by John James Napier
oil on canvas
NPG 2543
Private View of the Old Masters Exhibition, Royal Academy, 1888
by Henry Jamyn Brooks
oil on canvas, 1889
NPG 1833
by G. Robinson
etching, 1880s-1890s
NPG D42338
Key to Private View of the Old Masters Exhibition, Royal Academy, 1888
after Henry Jamyn Brooks
photograph, 1919 or after
NPG D42236
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