The Life and Art of William Daniels
Born in the Scotland Road district of Liverpool, United Kingdom, William Daniels was the son of a former soldier turned brick maker and a barmaid. His early years were spent working in the family brickfields, where his talent for modeling red clay was recognized by the local artist and wood-engraver Alexander Mosses. Under Mosses' guidance, Daniels learned drawing and wood engraving, eventually serving a seven-year apprenticeship as a wood-engraver. He also received drawing instruction at the Royal Liverpool Institution.
Daniels was largely a self-taught painter, often practicing his craft at home by the light of a candle. He frequently utilized himself and his family members as models, and his subjects often included local characters. His work was exhibited at the Liverpool Academy of Arts starting at age seventeen, and he later showed seven paintings at the Royal Academy in London in 1840 and 1846.
Portraiture and Legacy
While he did not establish a career in London, Daniels built a significant reputation as a portrait painter in Liverpool. He secured several notable patrons, including Sir Humphry Davy, George Stephenson, and Sir Joshua Walmsley, who commissioned three portraits of the Walmsley family. His work is held in various collections, such as the Walker Art Gallery, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the University of Wales, Bangor, and the Williamson Art Gallery, Wirral.
Known for his bold, swarthy appearance, Daniels was a man of diverse social associations, often found in the company of pedlars, tramps, actors, and boxers. He married Mary Owens in 1839, using the proceeds from a painting sale to purchase their wedding ring. He died in Everton, Liverpool, and was buried at St James's Cemetery.
