Henry Hoppner Meyer RBA (12 June 1780àâÂÂà28 Mayà1847) was a British portrait painter and stipple and mezzotint engraver. He trained at ChristâÂÂs Hospital under Benjamin Green, was apprenticed to Benjamin Smith for seven years, and studied engraving under Francesco Bartolozzi at the Royal Academy Schools.
John Meyer was born on 12 June 1780 in London, the son of hairdresser John Meyer and Anna Torade Hoppner. In 1791 he enrolled at ChristâÂÂs Hospital where he studied drawing under Benjamin Green. On 25 Augustà1794 he was apprenticed to engraver Benjamin Smith, completing his apprenticeship in 1801.
From 1802 Meyer began exhibiting small portrait-paintings at the Royal Academy, while simultaneously producing mezzotint and stipple engravings of prominent figures. His engraved portraits included Lady Hamilton, Admiral Nelson, Sir John Nicholl, Lord Byron and Giuseppe Ambrogetti; notably, his stipple of Charles Lamb was displayed at the India Office between 1820 and 1850.
Between 1824 and 1830 Meyer was a founding member of the Society of British Artists, exhibiting over fifty works of portraiture and genre scenes, and serving as its President inà1828âÂÂ1829.
In the 1830sâÂÂ1840s he took on private pupils in stipple engraving and portraiture, teaching at his studio in Fitzrovia, London. Among his students were Jane Waterhouse and Thomas Fairchild, who both went on to exhibit at the Royal Academy.
MeyerâÂÂs works are held in:
His son, Bernard Francis Hoppner Meyer (20 Aprilà1811àâÂÂà3àJuneà1888), was also an engraver who signed âÂÂHoppner Meyerâ and emigrated to America inà1830. A second son, Henry Meyer (b.à1817), later adopted âÂÂHenry Hoppner Meyer,â causing historical confusion; however, the elder Meyer never used âÂÂHoppnerâ during his lifetime.