London 1830 to 1855
The 1830s were Eastlake's most productive decade as a painter. He continued to sketch and paint historic and biblical works set in Mediterranean landscapes. His bandit scenes and idealised female portraits were also popular.
During the 1840s he began to spend time writing - translating, reviewing and compiling notes about important works of art. In 1847 his book 'Materials for a History of Oil Painting' was published. The book was quickly translated into German and Italian and is still widely consulted today.
He also became involved in arts administration and was appointed Secretary to the Fine Arts Commission in 1841. The Commission was tasked with encouraging a new school of English history painting as well as finding artists to decorate the new Houses of Parliament with murals.
Although the project proved difficult, Eastlake's good organisational skills and knowledge of European museums earned him a good reputation with people who were interested in promoting the arts to the public, such as Prince Albert and politician Sir Robert Peel.
In 1849, Eastlake married Elizabeth Rigby, who was making her name as a contributor on various topics to the Quarterly Review, a well-known journal of the day. Then, in 1850 he was knighted and elected President of the Royal Academy - a post he continued to hold until his death 15 years later. He did much to modernise the Academy - opening up new possibilities for engravers, female students and foreign artists, and allowing journalists to attend the annual dinner.
His position as a notable figure in the British art establishment was firmly cemented when he was appointed the first President of the Photographic Society in 1853 and then the first Director of the National Gallery when it was reconstituted, in 1855.
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| Giovanni Battista Moroni, Portrait of a Man holding a Letter, about 1570 © The National Gallery, London |