Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Gilbert, Joseph Francis
GILBERT, JOSEPH FRANCIS (1792–1855), painter, born in 1792, took up art amidst great family difficulties. In 1813 he was residing at High Street, Portsmouth, and exhibited at the Royal Academy a ‘Landscape and Figures.’ In 1814 he sent ‘The Rustic Traveller crossing the Style,’ and occasionally exhibited in the following years. Subsequently he removed to Sussex, and resided for many years at Chichester. He continued to exhibit at the British Institution, Suffolk Street, Royal Manchester Institution, and other exhibitions, principally views in Sussex. Some of his works have been engraved, including ‘A View of the Ruins of Cowdray’ (by T. Clark), ‘Priam winning the Gold Cup,’ ‘The Goodwood Race-course,’ &c. In 1847 he was a competitor at Westminster Hall with an oil-painting of ‘Edwin and Emma’ from Mallet's poem. He died 25 Sept. 1855, in his sixty-fourth year.
[Redgrave's Dict. of Artists; Graves's Dict. of Artists, 1760–1880; catalogues of exhibitions.]