William Owen moved to London from his native Shropshire in 1786 and was apprenticed for seven years to the coach-painter Charles Catton. In 1791, he entered the Royal Academy Schools with encouragement from Sir Joshua Reynolds. He first exhibited at the Academy in the following year and he continued to exhibit every nearly year until his death. He mostly worked in the sphere of portraiture, and painted many distinguished figures. In 1810, he was appointed portraitist to the Prince of Wales, but he was unable to secure a portrait sitting with the Prince. Many engravers produced prints after Owen’s paintings.
Updated 2018
