“Painter of portraits, histories, fancy pictures and animal pictures in the vein of Snyders. Born Plymouth 22 October 1746; died London 13 July 1831. After diligent self-training while apprenticed to a trade, he came to London 1771, entered the Royal Academy Schools and became pupil and resident assistant to Reynolds from 1771 to 1775. Exhibited RA 1773-76 a few portraits and practiced portraiture at Plymouth until he had made enough money to go to Italy in 1777. In Rome 1777-80 (and was asked to give a ‘Self portrait’ to the Uffizi collection). He settled for good in London 1781 and turned out a steady stream of portraits and, from 1783, fancy pictures. His grandiose history pictures, many for Boydell’s Shakespeare Gallery – which were his pride – begin 1786. Elected ARA 1786; RA 1787. Exhibited at the Royal Academy 1773-1828.; BI 1806-31. His work is very fully documented from his own list of his paintings, and a surprising number of his history pictures and fancy subject were engraved. Northcote was more interesting as a personality than as a painter, he was highly intelligent, but his drawing, sense of tone, and use of paint are all rather unsatisfactory, and his historical pictures often turgid – with quotations from Antiquity or Italian models made in Reynolds’ spirit, but without his taste. Some of his portraits (e.g. of his brother) are not undistinguished. He wrote a valuable Life of Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1813, and his conversations with Hazlitt and James Ward have been published (1894 and 1901). Most categories of his work can be seen in the Exeter Gallery.”

(Bibliographical source: Waterhouse, Ellis Kirkham. The dictionary of British 18th century painters in oils and crayons. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1981.)