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Born in Dublin, where he was educated under a portrait painter named Hunter. He afterwards turned to landscape art, went to Rome, and studied there for a time under Wilson, R.A. He exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1772 4 Morning ' and ' Evening ' — two landscapes in oil — and two landscape drawings, ana continued in the succeeding years to exhibit compositions of the same class up to 1778, but his progress was impeded by nis bad health. He was subject to epileptic fits, which at last caused his death m London in the early part of 1799. His landscapes were much es- teemed, but are scarce. There are some specimens in the royal collection. He exe- cuted some of his drawings in the manner of Wilson, in black and white chalk upon a bluish-grey paper.
CROSS, John, history painter. Was born May 1819, at Tiverton, where his father superintended the works of a lace factory, and on his father's removal to St. Quentm, France, where a similar employ- ment was offered him, he accompanied the family there; and admitted to the School of Design in that town, he was distinguished by his progress, and gave so many proofs of his ability, that he was induced to set off for Paris, where he became a pupil of M. Picot, apainter of the old French classic school. Here he gained several of the medals which are open to the students in Paris. He was just completing his studies when the competition was opened in 1843 for the decoration of the Legislative Palace in Westminster; and he sent a cartoon of
- The Assassination of Thomas a Becket '
to the first exhibition, but his work gained little notice. With better success he was again a competitor in the second exhibition, sending an oil painting of ( Richard Coeur de Lion/ which gained a first premium of 300J., and was purchased by Her Majesty^ Commissioners tor 1000/. He at once gained a reputation, but the labour and anxiety he had undergone brought on a serious ill- ness, from which he only slowly recovered. In 1850 he exhibited at the Academy — his first contribution — * The Burial of the Young Princes in the Tower; ' in the next year, ' Edward the Confessor leaving his Crown to Harold ' followed by * The Death of Thomas a Becket/ 1&53 : 'Lucy Preston's Petition/ 1856; and * The Coronation of William the Conqueror/ 1859. He proved, however, quite unable to maintain the high position nis ' Coeur de Lion ' had given him. His subsequent attempts were feeble and weak; he seemed unable to complete them. His twopictures sent to the Academy in 1860 were rej ected. He fell again into ill-health, and died in London, February 26, 1861. The paintings he left were exhibited at the Society of Arts, and an attempt was made to raise a subscription for his family. His 108
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friends purchased his * Murder of Thomas a Becket/ and placed it in Canterbury Cathedral, and a small civil list pension was granted to his widow in consideration of his merits as a painter.
CROSS, Michael, copyist. Practised in the reign of Charles I., who employed him as a copyist in Italy. He is alleged to have copied a celebrated ' Madonna ' by Raphael, in St. Mark's at Venice, and to have substituted his copy for the original, which he stole, and contrived to bring to England; and, it is added, that on the sale of Charles I.'s pictures this work was bought by the Spanish ambassador. He was living in the reign of Charles II.
CROSS, Thomas, engraver. He was chiefly employed upon portraits and small illustrations for booksellers, which he both designed and engraved himself. His chief works are dated between 1646 and 1680. They are executed almost entirely with the graver, and are in a hard, tasteless style. • CROSSE, Richard, miniat'wrejHiinter. He was born in Devonshire, and his name first appears in 1758, when he received a premium at the Society of Arts. He was in 1763 a member of the Free Society of Artists. He had been an exhibitor at the two previous exhibitions, and continued to exhibit up to 1769. In 1770 he exhibited at the Royal Academy, and continued to contribute his miniatures, and occasionally a small whole-length in water-colours, in which manner he exhibited a portrait of Mrs Billington in 178a In 1790 he was appointed painter in enamel to the King, tut he painted very little in the latter part of his practice, and did not ex- hibit alter 1795. He died at Knowle, near Collumpton, in 1810, aged 65. He appears to have been the artist whom B. R. Hay don describes in his memoirs as a dumb minia- ture painter who made his fortune by his art early in life, and lived many years at Wells, having retired from society on the marriage of Haydon's mother, to whom he was a disappointed suitor. His portrait, engraved by Thew, was published m 1791.
CROSSE, Lewis, miniature painter. He flourished in the reign of Queen Anne, and painted many distinguished persons. He also excelled m small copies in water- colour from the old masters. He is reputed to have painted a small portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots, belonging to the Duke of Hamilton, who ordered him to make Mary as handsome as he could. His work was for many years believed to be original, and many copies made from it. He possessed a valuable collection of the works of our early miniaturists, which he sold in 1722. He died October 1724.
CROWLEYjNicholas J., R.H.A., por- trait painter. Born in Ireland, and in 1838 elected a member of the Irish Academy;
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