On his Grand Tour of Europe in 1764-1765, Boswell visited and befriended the famous philosophers Jean-Jacques Rosseau and François-Marie Arouet (Voltaire), and back in Edinburgh he was a personal friend of David Hume.
Hugh Barron - Painter - Student of Sir Joshua Reynolds
Hugh Barron
Born 1747Died 1791
Biography:
The son of an apothecary in Soho, Barron gained some fame as a painter and amateur musician. He was a student of the renowned Joshua Reynolds until 1766, and in the 1780s had some paintings exhibited at the Royal Academy. He was "considered the best amateur [violin] performer of his time."1
- 1. Scholes, Percy A. (1948). The Great Dr. Burney, His Life, His Travels, His Works, His Family and His Friends, Vol. 1. Oxford University Press. p. 98
Life with Boswell:
Boswell mentions meeting Barron in the company of Lord Eglinton on May 4, 1763. Barron was described as "a boy of great genius both as a painter and a musician, [who] will probably be a man of great eminence. But at present he is a little black trifling being, so that his being in my company is a punishment to me". Although Barron was most likely very talented, he made no name for himself - which apparently was rather usual for students of Reynolds, who despite being a great painter was definitely not a good teacher.1
- 1. Hudson, Derek B. (1958). Sir Joshua Reynolds, a Personal Study. Geoffrey Bles. p. 119
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