arthur william devis (1762 - 1822)
Arthur Devis was a British portrait painter.
Devis is best known for his portraits of local gentry and their families. The people Devis depicts look slightly embellished, in some ways even puppet-like, living in a perfectly beautiful world. Devis's paintings have become of interest to current social historians because most of his customers were members of the new prosperous middle class - merchants and rural landowners. Toward the end of his life, the artist's popularity began to wane as his style was considered old-fashioned.
One of Devis's sons, Arthur William Devis, also became an artist.
Arthur William Devis was an English painter of history paintings and portraits. He painted portraits and historical subjects, sixty-five of which he exhibited (1779–1821) at the Royal Academy. Among his more famous works are a depiction of the Death of Nelson and a posthumous portrait of Nelson.
