Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Moser, Mary
MOSER, MARY (d. 1819), flower painter, was the only child of George Michael Moser [q. v.] She received premiums of five guineas from the Society of Arts in 1758 and 1759, and exhibited with the Society of Artists from 1760 to 1768. Though extremely near-sighted, Miss Moser became celebrated for her pictures of flowers, which were gracefully and harmoniously composed and highly finished. She was much patronised by Queen Charlotte, who employed her to decorate an entire room at Frogmore, paying her more than 900l. for the work, and throughout her life she was on terms of intimacy with, the princesses. When the Royal Academy was established, Miss Moser was chosen a foundation member, and frequently contributed to its exhibitions up to 1802, sending chiefly flowers, but occasionally a classical or historical subject. She was a clever and agreeable woman, and some lively letters from her have been printed, one of them addressed to Fuseli, for whom she is believed to have formed an unrequited attachment. On 26 Oct. 1793 Miss Moser married, as his second wife, Captain Hugh Lloyd of Chelsea, and afterwards only practised as an amateur. In 1805, when West was re-elected president of the Royal Academy, the only dissentient voice was that of Fuseli, who gave his vote for Mrs. Lloyd, justifying himself with the characteristic remark that he thought 'one old woman as good as another.' Surviving her husband several years, Mrs. Lloyd died in Upper Thornhaugh Street, London, on 2 May 1819, and was buried at Kensington. Her will, of which she appointed Joseph Nollekens [q. v.] and her cousin Joseph Moser [q. v.] the executors, is printed at length in Smith's 'Nollekens and his Times.' Portraits of Mrs. Lloyd and Angelica Kauffmann, the only two ladies ever elected royal academicians, appear as pictures on the wall in Zoffany's 'Life School of the Royal Academy,' engraved by Earlom.
[W. Sandby's Hist. of the Royal Academy; J. T. Smith's Nollekens and his Times; Gent. Mag. 1793, ii. 957, 1819 i. 492; Knowles's Life of Fuseli; Royal Acad. Catalogues.]