Burney, Edward Francis (1760-1848)

Edward Francis (also known as Francesco or Francisco) Burney was born in Worcester on September 7, 1760. He was the son of Richard Burney (1723-1792) and Elizabeth Humphries (c.1720-1771), the brother of Charles Rousseau Burney (1747-1819), the nephew of Charles Burney (1726-1814), and a favourite cousin of Frances Burney (1752-1840)

In 1776, at the age of 16, Edward became a student at the Royal Academy School of Art. He received encouragement from Joshua Reynolds, then-president of the school. Edward exhibited at the Royal Academy of Art from 1780 through 1803. His collection included historical pieces and portraits of friends and family, including his cousin Frances (he was apparently too shy to paint other sitters).

Though he was a capable oil portraitist, Edward worked mainly as an illustrator. In 1780, he exhibited three drawings to accompany Frances Burney’s Evelina, one of which was later engraved and incorporated into a 1791 edition of the novel. He went on to do a series of illustrations for Milton’s Paradise Lost, which are now held by the Huntington Library.

Edward was influenced by the satirical style of Hogarth. In the 1820s, Edward did a set of four large watercolours which satirized musical and social life of the time: The Waltz and The Elegant Establishment for Young Ladies (held by the Victoria and Albert Museum), and Amateurs of Tye-Wig Music and The Glee Club, or, The Triumph of Music (held by the Yale Center for British Art). An oil version of Amateurs of Tye-Wig Music is available to view online at the Tate Gallery.

Burney died in London on December 16, 1848, at the age of 88, and was buried in Marylebone. He was unmarried.