Peters, William

Peters, William an English clergyman, who flourished in the latter part of the 18th century, distinguished himself especially as a painter. He was a man of wit, and possessed a lively imagination and great conversational powers, which made him a favorite. Having a passion for painting, he practiced it first as an amusement, and, by associating much with the eminent artists of the time, he greatly improved his manner, and produced many beautiful works which were greatly admired. He painted for the Shakespeare Gallery scenes from that author's dramatic works; also several pictures for Macklin's Gallery, as the Resurrection of a Pious Family; the Guardian Angels and the Spirit of a Child; the Cherubs, etc., all of which were very popular. He executed many fancy subjects from his own imagination, which are pleasingly sentimental. He was much patronized by the nobility, and he sometimes painted subjects not strictly in accordance with just notions of propriety. His pictures are well composed, and his coloring rich and harmonious, with an admirable impasto, in which he imitated Reynolds. Many of his works were engraved by Bartolozzi, Thew, Simon, Smith, Marcuard, and others. He is generally called the Reverend W. Peters. The duke of Rutland was his chief patron, and presented him with a valuable living. The bishop of Lincoln gave him a prebendal stall in his cathedral. He died in 1814.