George Barret I (1730 - 1784)

George Barret I

George Barret the Elder was an Irish landscape painter.

He arrived in London in 1762, and soon became known in society and became a leading painter of the period. Barret exhibited at the Society of Artists of Great Britain and gained the patronage of many art collectors. In 1768, he co-founded the Royal Academy. During his lifetime Barret painted many fine landscapes of Wales, the Lake District, the Thames, views of castles and palaces, which were much sought after by the nobility.

His son, George Barret the Younger (1767-1842), also became a landscape painter, and he may even have surpassed his father in skill.