JACKSON JAMAICA. 



553 



JACKSON, JOHN; an eminent portrait-painter, 

 was born at Lastingham, a small village in the 

 North Riding of Yorkshire, on the 31st of May, 

 1778. Very early in life, he evinced a capacity 

 for pencilling a likeness ; but he was apprenticed 

 to his father's business, that of a village tailor. 

 Whilst yet the term of his indentures was unex- 

 pired by nearly two years, finding occasional op- 

 portunities for the indulgence of his propensity for 

 the art, he had made some heads in small, which 

 exhibited a talent much beyond what could be ex- 

 pected from one entirely self-taught, with no ex- 

 ample of art to refer to in aid of his ardent desire 

 to improve. These attempts fortunately were 

 shown to the family of the late earl of Mulgrave ; 

 and this circumstance laid the foundation of that 

 iiispicious career which commenced on his becom- 

 ing the protege of that worthy nobleman ; who, 

 with his lordship's brother, the honourable general 

 Phipps, and others of his noble family, were the 

 constant patrons and friends of the painter through 

 life. It was owing to this circumstance that Mr 

 Jackson obtained the countenance of the late Sir 

 George Beaumont, at whose instance, by a sub- 

 scription fund, the remainder of the term of his 

 apprenticeship was purchased, when he was hap- 

 pily placed in a state of freedom to pursue the bent 

 of his inclination for graphic study; with means 

 much more felicitous than those which usually 

 attend native talent, on its first embarking to ex- 

 plore the wide ocean of taste. 



Mr Jackson, having accomplished the term ap- 

 propriated to the study of drawing, commenced 

 portrait-painter in the metropolis, and obtained 

 much employment. For some years, however, 

 subsequently to this, his portraits in oil obtained 

 for him no great distinction ; but his portraits in 

 water colours were universally admired ; and his 

 practice in this department was extensive, and pro- 

 ductive of a very handsome income. In these, the 

 heads were tastefully drawn, the resemblances 

 were faithfully correct, and, although carefully 

 finished, wrought with masterly spirit. The style 

 indeed was so deservedly popular, that his prac- 

 tice was greater perhaps than that of any contem- 

 porary portrait-painter in small. Many of the 

 heads engraved in Cadell's splendid publication, 

 " Portraits of Illustrious Persons of the Eighteenth 

 Century," were from drawings by Jackson. How- 

 ever great the celebrity and the income which 

 Jackson obtained by these performances, many of 

 which were beautiful, he sought distinction in a 

 superior order of art. He felt conscious that by 

 due exertion he might compete with the most 

 celebrated portrait-painters in oil; and relinquish- 

 ing the practice of water-colours, soon accomplished 

 his object. " He occupies a place," says a writer 

 in the Athenaeum, "between the fine, elegant 

 detail of Lawrence, and the vigorous generalities 

 of Raeburn : or, as others word it, though perhaps 

 less truly, he is a disciple of the school of Rey- 



nolds, and one of the cleverest of its followers. 

 Where thought and intelligence were required, he 

 readily supplied them ; he rose and fell with his 

 subject, and may be considered as one of the most 

 honest of all the children of flattery. He had an 

 uncommon readiness and skill of hand a rapid 

 felicity of finish, which enabled him to dash off at 

 a few sittings whatever he undertook: his colour- 

 ing was deep, clear, and splendid ; and in this he 

 more resembled Reynolds than any artist since his 

 day." 



On the 6th of November, 1815, Mr Jackson was 

 elected an associate of the royal academy; and on 

 the 10th of February, 1817, a royal academician. 

 In the year 1816, he accompanied general the hon. 

 Edmund Phipps in a tour through Holland and 

 Flanders ; and in 1819, in company with Mr Chant- 

 rey the sculptor, he made the tour of Italy, by 

 way of Geneva, Milan, Padua, Venice, Bologna, 

 Florence, and Rome. At the imperial city he was 

 elected a member of the academy of St Luke. 

 His death took place at his house in St John's 

 Wood, on the 1st June, 1831. He was twice 

 married, and left children. His character was that 

 of an amiable and generous man. Although be- 

 longing to the sect of Methodists, he left an altar- 

 piece for the church of his native parish. The 

 subject is, " Christ in the Garden," from Corregio, 

 which he completed shortly before his death. 



JAMAICA, (a.) This island lies about 900 

 miles to the west of the Windward and Leeward 

 chain, in latitude 17 35' to 18 30' N. ; and longi- 

 tude 76 to 78 40 7 W. ; and extends 170 miles in 

 length from east to west, and about fifty in its 

 broadest part from north to south. Throughout 

 its whole length there runs a lofty range of moun- 

 tains, from 7000 to 8000 feet in height, forming a 

 complete barrier between the north and south sides, 

 except where intersected by two defiles, through 

 which communications are established. Each 

 side of the island presents considerable diversity 

 in physical aspect. On approaching the south, the 

 immense mass of the Blue Mountains at once bursts 

 on the view ; their summits a succession of abrupt 

 precipices, intersected by deep chasms and gulleys ; 

 the lower range crowned with wood, less rugged 

 in their outline, intersected by wider valleys, and 

 ultimately terminating in a long plain, from eight 

 to twelve miles in breadth, which extends from 

 their base to the ocean. On this level tract, or in 

 its immediate vicinity, the principal towns and 

 largest military stations are situated ; the soil is of 

 a rich brick-coloured mould, exceedingly fertile, 

 and watered by numerous rivers, intersecting it in 

 almost every direction. 



On the north side there are few plains or level 

 surface of any extent ; the ground rises at once 

 from the sea by a succession of gentle acclivities, 

 separated by wide valleys ; the hills are rounded 

 on the top, and studded with thick groves of the 

 pimento tree. These features gradually become 



