biography of Augustus EARL (1793-1838)

Birth place: England

Profession: Portrait painter, scenic and scientific draftsman

Studied: Royal Academy

Exhibited: PAFA, before 1820

Comments: Son of James Earl, nephew of Ralph Earl (see entries on each). After studying at the Royal Academy (c.1813), he spent several years in the Mediterranean area. He came to the United States in March 1818, spent some time in NYC and Philadelphia, and visited many parts of the country before his departure for South America early in 1820. During the next decade Earl, who was known as the wandering painter," painted and traveled in South America, the South Seas and Australasia, the East Indies and India. Returning to England, where many of his sketches were used for Burford's panoramas, Earl soon after (1832) accepted the post of draftsman on H.M.S. Beagle, on the South American expedition in which Charles Darwin served as naturalist. He is said to have died before the end of the four-year voyage.

Sources: G&W; Earle, The Earle Family, 91-93; CAB; Rutledge, PA; Dunlap, History, II, 322-25."

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