John Le Capelain was a painter born in Saint Helier

Saint Helier

Saint Helier is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel. St. Helier has a population of about 28,000, roughly 31.2% of the total population of Jersey, and is the capital of the Island . The urban area of the parish of St...

, Jersey

Jersey

Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...

, the son of Samuel Le Capelain, a printer and lithographer, and Elizabeth Anne Pinckney, his English wife. He followed his father's trade in lithography

Lithography

Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...

 but abandoned it later in life. He also learned the art of painting, without any formal training. About 1832 he came to London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 and practiced as water-colour painter. His technique gave his paintings a particularly misty and foggy effect. After Queen Victoria's

Victoria of the United Kingdom

Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

 visit to Jersey in 1846, a volume of drawings by Le Capelain of scenery of the island was presented to her as an official souvenir by the States of Jersey

States of Jersey

The States of Jersey is the parliament and government of Jersey.The Assembly of the States of Jersey has exercised legislative powers since 1771, when law-making power was transferred from the Royal Court of Jersey....

. This led to his receiving a commission from the queen to paint pictures of the Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...

. While engaged on these he developed tuberculosis

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...

, of which he died in Jersey in 1848.

A view of Mont Orgueil

Mont Orgueil

Mont Orgueil is a castle in Jersey. It is located overlooking the harbour of Gorey. It is also called Gorey Castle by English-speakers, and lé Vièr Châté by Jèrriais-speakers....

 by Le Capelain was used on the reverse of the 1976 Jersey £20 banknote

Jersey pound

The pound is the currency of Jersey. Jersey is in currency union with the United Kingdom, and the Jersey pound is not a separate currency but is an issue of banknotes and coins by the States of Jersey denominated in pound sterling, in a similar way to the banknotes issued in Scotland and Northern...

.

Public collections

The Jersey Heritage Trust today holds some of his paintings.

A collection of his works, presented by public subscription in his memory, is displayed in the Parish Hall of St. Helier.

Following the refurbishment of the States Building in the Royal Square during 2001 / 2003, two rooms were provided for the newly constituted scrutiny side of the States. One of the rooms is named the "Le Capelain Room" after the artist. A number of copies of some of his paintings are displayed in this room. The other scrutiny room is named "The Blampied Room" after Edmund Blampied

Edmund Blampied

Edmund Blampied was one of the most eminent artists to come from the Channel Islands, yet he received no formal training in art until he was 16 years old...

. As with the Le Capelain room, a number of copies of the artist's work are displayed in the room.

See also

• Culture of Jersey (Art)

External links