John Hamilton Mortimer

John Hamilton Mortimer was born in Eastbourne, September 17, 1740 and died in London, February 4, 1779.

Noted particularly as a history painter, Mortimer favored Anglo-Saxon history over the more typical classical scenes depicted by his contemporaries. He arrived in London from Sussex by 1757, and began training in Thomas Hudson's studio, where he met and became a lifelong friend of Joseph Wright of Derby. He won drawing prizes at the St. Martin's Lane Academy and a painting prize at the Society of Arts. In 1774 he became president of the Society of Artists, but three years later moved to the Royal Academy.