Annie Dixon
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Annie Dixon (c. 1817 - 1901) was a 19th-century English miniature portrait painter. From 1859, she was commissioned for numerous royal portraits by Queen Victoria.
Annie Dixon | |
|---|---|
 Annie Dixon by Louisa Anne Beresford, Marchioness of Waterford (1887) | |
| Born | 1817 Horncastle, Lincolnshire |
| Died | 15 February 1901 (aged 83–84) |
| Known for | Portrait miniature |
Dixon was the eldest daughter of seven children (two sons, five daughters) born to a corn chandler in Horncastle, Lincolnshire.[1] She began working with water-colour by the mid-19th century, and completed portraits in Horncastle.[1] She was instructed by Magdalene Dalton (née Ross), sister of portrait painter William Charles Ross.[2] Despite this instruction, Dixon did not spend much time studying art, copying pictures, or pursuing further education.[3] Dixon worked in Hull, on the Isle of Wight, and in London until the end of the 19th century.[4] From 1844 to 1893, Dixon displayed 222 portraits at the Royal Academy.[2] In 1859, Dixon received her first Royal commission from Queen Victoria, to paint a miniature of Princess Blanche d'Orléans (1857-1932) at Claremont.[5] A number of her portraits remain in the Royal Collection. The royal favour she received from Queen Victoria allowed Dixon to earn further commissions from nobility.[2]
Her works are noted for having characteristics of using warm flesh tones (especially in the forehead) and yellow in the sky.[6] Dixon occasionally used gilded backgrounds in her work.[7] Her skill at capturing likenesses meant that she had a successful career during a time when many portraitists were facing competition from the advent of photography.[8]
Dixon died on 15 February 1901 at the age of 83 and was buried in Horncastle cemetery.[1]
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