Sir James Jebusa Shannon, although he was born in Auburn, New York in 1862, moved to London in 1878 to establish his career in England. He studied at the South Kensington School of Art under Sir Edward Poynter, before attracting the attention of the Royal Academy. Shannon later had the honor of becoming a full Academician. He received a commission from Queen Victoria in 1880 and 1881, which started what was to become an established carrier as a court painter by the mid 1890's. By the end of the 1800s, his reputation as a portrait painter was second only to John Singer Sargent. He became a member of the Royal Society of British Artists, (R.B.A.) and being from Irish decent, was also able to gain membership to the Royal Hibernian Academy (R.H.A.). He was eventually knighted by the Queen in 1922, shortly before his death in 1923.
- by Kara Lysandra Ross
Sources
Kenneth McConkey, Edwardian Portraits, Antique Collectors Club, 1987, p.119
Important British Paintings and Watercolors, Sotheby's London, June 8, 1999
- by Kara Lysandra Ross
Sources
Kenneth McConkey, Edwardian Portraits, Antique Collectors Club, 1987, p.119
Important British Paintings and Watercolors, Sotheby's London, June 8, 1999
