John Keenan, Irish portrait painter. A pupil of Robert Home in Dublin, he came to England about 1790. Between 1791 and 1815 he exhibited over sixty paintings at the Royal Academy, including portraits of Robert Southey and Shelley's friend Dr. James Lind. Keenan returned to Ireland in about 1817. · To William Godwin, philosopher and novelist : 1 autograph letter signed : 10 Dec 1803 : (S'ANA 0228) : [no place] : saying that John Opie has consented to allow Keenan to copy his portrait of Mary Wollstonecraft; expressing interest in painting Godwin's portrait; begins, "After waiting on Mr. Opie Mr. Northcote I am enabled to say that the first gentleman assented heartily to my making a Copy from the picture he painted." Published as SC 54 in Shelley and his Circle v. I, p. 323. Presented as a gift to the Pforzheimer Library in April of 1956 by Lord Abinger.
Biographical/historical: John Keenan, Irish portrait painter. A pupil of Robert Home in Dublin, he came to England about 1790. Between 1791 and 1815 he exhibited over sixty paintings at the Royal Academy, including portraits of Robert Southey and Shelley's friend Dr. James Lind. Keenan returned to Ireland in about 1817.
Funding: Digitized through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.
