About Frederick Havill
Lived 1815 – 1884 (aged 68–69). Frederick Havill was a British painter.
Frederick Havill (c. 1815 – April 1884) was an English artist during the 19th century. Havill contributed to multiple mediums, but is best remembered for his role in portraiture and for being a founding member of the modern English school of watercolour.
Career
During the 1840s, Havill began his most active period leading to his showing at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1849 and continuing through to 1874, where he exhibited chiefly.
Following the death of his first wife and subsequent remarriage in 1865, Havill moved to London from Cheltenham, establishing his household in Chelsea until his death in 1884. His most prestigious work is housed in the National Portrait Gallery, including his posthumous portrait of the Scottish physician and pioneer missionary David Livingstone, an oil on canvas donated by John Lillie in 1896.
Personal life Havill married twice. With his first wife, Elizabeth, he had his only child Lucy Elizabeth in 1842, though she died in 1858. Elizabeth, too, died and Havill married Catherine Elizabeth Humphreys in 1865 in Kensington, London.
List of selected works Portrait of John Glanville Hawker (1845) Portrait of Captain George Schreiber (1854) The Astrologer (1854) Portrait of David Livingstone (c.1873) The Decision of Edward I, King of England
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Important facts
People in Frederick Havill's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Frederick Havill's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Frederick Havill?
English artist (1815–1884)
When was Frederick Havill born?
Frederick Havill was born in 1815 in Exeter.
When did Frederick Havill die?
Frederick Havill died in 1884 in London, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
What was Frederick Havill's occupation?
Frederick Havill was a painter.
What nationality was Frederick Havill?
Frederick Havill was British.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Frederick Havill. https://biography.guide/frederick-havill/
MLA: "Frederick Havill." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/frederick-havill/.
Chicago: "Frederick Havill." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/frederick-havill/.
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