George Michael Moser
Encyclopedia
George Michael Moser was a renowned artist and enamel
ler of the 18th century, father of celebrated floral painter Mary Moser
, and, with his daughter, among the founder members of the Royal Academy
in 1768.
, Switzerland
and trained initially as a coppersmith
in Geneva
. He later learnt additional skills as a chaser, goldsmith
and engraver.
He moved to London
during the 1720s and married Mary Guynier. Surviving metal works by him include elaborate gold
snuff
-boxes and watch-cases (including movements by noted watchmakers George Philip Strigel and John Ellicott
, among others), and silver
candlesticks in the Rococo
style.
Moser was the Royal Academy's first Keeper and as a teacher at the Academy taught many notable artists including William Blake
. Another student was his nephew Joseph Moser
. He also taught at the St Martin's Lane Academy and was drawing master to the British royal family
.
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...
ler of the 18th century, father of celebrated floral painter Mary Moser
Mary Moser
Mary Moser was an English painter and one of the most celebrated women artists of 18th century Britain. One of only two female founding members of the Royal Academy , Moser is particularly noted for her depictions of flowers.-Life and career:London-born Moser was trained by her Swiss-born artist...
, and, with his daughter, among the founder members of the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
in 1768.
Biography
Moser was born in SchaffhausenSchaffhausen
Schaffhausen is a city in northern Switzerland and the capital of the canton of the same name; it has an estimated population of 34,587 ....
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and trained initially as a coppersmith
Coppersmith
A coppersmith, also known as a redsmith, is a person who makes artifacts from copper. The term redsmith comes from the colour of copper....
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. He later learnt additional skills as a chaser, goldsmith
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
and engraver.
He moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
during the 1720s and married Mary Guynier. Surviving metal works by him include elaborate gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
snuff
Snuff
Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century...
-boxes and watch-cases (including movements by noted watchmakers George Philip Strigel and John Ellicott
John Ellicott (1706 – 1772)
John Ellicott , was an eminent English clock and watchmaker of the 18th century.His father, a Cornishman, John Ellicott , was also a clockmaker and had been admitted to the Clockmakers' Company in 1696...
, among others), and silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
candlesticks in the Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
style.
Moser was the Royal Academy's first Keeper and as a teacher at the Academy taught many notable artists including William Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
. Another student was his nephew Joseph Moser
Joseph Moser
Joseph Moser was an English artist, author, and magistrate. He was a nephew of George Michael Moser, enamel painter and drawing-master to George III. He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1774 to 1782...
. He also taught at the St Martin's Lane Academy and was drawing master to the British royal family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
.