User:Ruskinmonkey/John Prescott Knight

John Prescott Knight R.A.  (Stafford 9 March 1803-26 March 1881) was an English artist.

Life
He was born in Stafford on 9 March 1803 as John Knight Prescott, the son of an actor called Edward Knight Prescott, and Sarah Clews, daughter of a local wine merchant.

He began his working life as a junior clerk in the office of a wine merchant in London, but following his employer's bankruptcy he decided to brcome an artist. His father sent him for six months to Henry Sass to improve his drawing, and for another six months to George Clint to improve his colouring. He became a student at the Royal Academy in 1823.

Knight was well known as a painter of portraits and genre scenes.

He was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1836 and a full academician in 1844. He served as secretary of the academy from: 1847-1873, and was a teacher of perspective there from 1839-52 and professor of perspective 1852..

He died on 26 March 1881.