Louis Alexander Fagan
Louis Alexander Fagan (7 February 1845 – 5 January 1903) was an Anglo-Italian writer and artist. He worked in the Department of Prints and Drawings for the British Museum from 1869 to 1894, and wrote various books on the department. A painting of his by John Singer Sargent sold at auction for $118,750 in 2020.[1]
Louis Alexander Fagan | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Louis Alexander Fagan by John Singer Sargent | |
| Born | 7 February 1845 |
| Died | 5 January 1903 |
| Nationality | Italian/British |
| Employer | British Museum |
Early life
Louis Alexander Fagan was born in 1845 in Naples, Italy to George Fagan and his wife Maria, their second son out of three sons and four daughters.[2] His grandfather was Robert Fagan,[3] a painter, diplomat and archaeologist. His younger brother, Charles Edward Fagan, later became the secretary of the Natural History Department at the British Museum.[4] In 1860, he was sent to England by a Queen's Messenger and was taken care of by Sir Anthony Panizzi, a friend of his father's who he would later write a biography on.[5]
Career
In 1869, Fagan began working at the Department of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum and in 1875, he was recorded to have a salary of £215 (£32,000 in today's money) for his role "act[ing] as Assistant Keeper in the Print Room".[fn 1][6] 1881, Thom's Irish Almanac and Official Directory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland listed him as "Assistant, Second Class...(acting Assistant Keeper)".[7] In 1882, the Post Office London Directory, 1882 recorded him as the same.[8]
In 1893, John Singer Sargent painted a 30.25x25.125 inch oil on canvas portrait of Fagan, which was sold in 2020 at Doyle's for $118, 750[1][9]
In his lifetime he wrote 92 articles for the original 1985-1900 Dictionary of National Biography.[10]
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Death
He retired in 1894 from ill health, and on 5 January 1903, he died in Florence.[2] His painting was donated by his wife to the Reform Club in 1911.
Family
On 8 November 1887, he married Caroline Frances Purves.[2]
Literary works
English
Handbook to the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum (1876)
The Life of Sir Anthony Panizzi, K.C.B (1881) in 2 vols.
The Art of Michel' Angelo Buonarroti as Illustrated by the Various Collections in the British Museum (1883)
Collectors' Marks (1183)
A Catalogue Raisonné of the Engraved Works of William Woollett (1885)
1836-1886. The Reform Club: Its Founders and Architect (1887)
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Engraved Works of William Faithorne (1888)
An easy walk through the British museum, or, How to see it in a few hours (1891)
Italian
Vita di Michelangelo Buonarroti. Catalogo dei disegni, sculture [&c.] di Michelangelo Buonarroti esistenti in Inghilterra, compilato da L. Fagan[fn 2] (1875)
Lettere ad Antonio Panizzi di uomini illustri e di amici italiani, 1823-1870[fn 3] (1880)
Contributions to other literary works
He edited Letters of Prosper Merimée to Panizzi (1881) in 2 vols. as well as their French and Italian counterparts. He also translated The Masters of Raffaello (Raphael Sanzio) (1882) by Marco Minghetti into English.
Artwork
- Artwork
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Frontispiece, Souvenirs of Southern Italy.png.webp)
Maccaroni Eaters.png.webp)
View at Baia.png.webp)
Old Italian Man, Souvenirs of Southern Italy.png.webp)
Landscape, viewed from a terrace on a hillside
Notes
- This is referring to the Prints and Drawings Department at the British Museum
- Translation: [The] Life of Michelangelo Buonarroti. [With] Catalouge of drawings, scultpures etc. byi Michelangelo Buonarroti existent in England, compiled by L. Fagan
- Translation: Letters to Antonio Panizzi from distinguished men and Italian friends, 1823-1870
References
- "On 50 Lots, Doyle's Important Paintings Auction Takes $1.7 Million - Antiques And The Arts WeeklyAntiques And The Arts Weekly". Antiques and the Arts. 29 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- Owen, W. B. (1912). . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography (2nd supplement). London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- "Louis Alexander Fagan (Biographical details)". British Museum. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
- Harmer, Sidney F. (10 February 1921). "Charles Edward Fagan, C.B.E., I.S.O". Nature. 106 (2676): 766–767. Bibcode:1921Natur.106..766H. doi:10.1038/106766a0. ISSN 0028-0836.
- Fagan, Louis Alexander (1880). The Life of Sir Anthony Panizzi K.C.B. Vol. ii. Remington & Company. p. 213.
- "The Athenaeum". The Athenaeum. Francis (2518): 274. 1875.
- Thom's Irish Almanac and Official Directory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Ireland. 1881. p. 156.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Post Office London Directory, 1882. [Part 1: Official & Street Directories]. pr. For Frederic Kelly. 1882. p. 90. OCLC 936206233.
- "John Singer Sargent | Doyle Auction House". doyle.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - "Louis Alexander Fagan". Wikisource. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.