James John Russell, Portrait Painter
(d. 1827)
Portrait Painter
From A Dictionary of Irish Artists 1913
Was born in Limerick, son of John Russell of that city. His name first appears as an artist in 1804, when he exhibited five portraits at Allen's in Dame Street. He again exhibited in 1809 in the Dublin Society's House in Hawkins Street, and contributed to the other Dublin exhibitions each year until 1814. He appears to have had a good practice as a portrait painter. From 1818 to 1823 he was in London and he contributed four portraits to the Royal Academy. Resuming his practice in Dublin he was elected an Associate of the Royal Hibernian Academy soon after its foundation in 1823, and became a Member on 9th May, 1826. He contributed eighteen portraits to the Academy's exhibitions in 1826 and 1827. For several years he suffered from ill-health, and returning to Limerick he died in his lodgings in Catherine Street in October, 1827.
His exhibited works include portraits of "Judge Day" (Artists' Exhibition, Dublin, 1804); "Lord Norbury" (Dublin, 1809); "Rev. John W. Keatinge," Dean of St. Patrick's (Dublin, 1811); "Lord Manners" (Dublin, 1811); and "Lord Norbury" again (Dublin, 1813); "Lord Gort" (R.A., 1819); "Admiral Sir E. Nagle" (R.A., 1823); "Sir Benjamin Bloomfield" (R.A., 1823); "Lord Robert Ponsonby Tottenham," Bishop of Clogher (R.H.A., 1826); "Dr. Robert Graves" (R.H.A., 1827). A portrait of "Thomas Walker," painted in 1813, formerly belonging to the Friendly Brothers in Limerick, is now in the Friendly Brothers' House, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin. A copy by him of the portrait of Charles Tottenham—"Tottenham in his boots," now in the National Gallery of Ireland, belongs to Major Tottenham, of Woodstock, Co. Wicklow.