Paul Luny
1821 - 1886
Born in London in 1759, Luny studied painting froma young age under the marine painter Francis Holman. Luny's early work is very similar to Holman's except that he used a slightly lighter, warmer palette. Between 1780 and 1793 he was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy. In 1793 Luny joined the navy and consequently ceased to exhibit his paintings. It was nine years later, in 1802, when he showed another work in public- 'Battle of the Nile' at the Royal Academy. After retirement from the navy in 1810 Luny was able to paint full time and meticulously kept an inventory of all the pictures he sold - with the title, the purchaser's name and the price. He spent the rest of his life in Teignmouth- an inspiring place for a marine artist such as Luny. It also proved a lucrative move as there were a number of naval officers in the town who were glad to commission pictures.Towards the end of his life Luny suffered from arthritis but continued to paint. Indeed in June 1837 (the year of his death) an exhibition of 130 of his works was held in a Bond Street Gallery.