The Dual Talents of Robert Woodcock
Robert Woodcock was an English marine painter, musician, and composer who lived during the Baroque period. Born in Chelsea, United Kingdom, he was the son of Robert Woodcock and Deborah Littleton. While he initially held a clerkship in the Government, he resigned his post around 1723 to pursue a professional career as an artist. As a painter, he specialized in depicting ships at sea, and his style was heavily influenced by the Dutch painter Willem van de Velde the Younger, whose works he assiduously copied.
Beyond the canvas, Woodcock was an accomplished musician who performed on the oboe, recorder, and flute. He was noted as a famous performer on the flute, and his musical contributions include the publication of twelve concertos around 1727. These works, titled XII Concertos in Eight Parts, comprise three concertos for flute, three for recorder, and three for oboe. His flute concertos are recognized as the earliest known published works for that instrument.
Life and Legacy
Woodcock's life was marked by both artistic achievement and physical hardship. He married Ayliffe Stoaks in 1714, and together they had several children. The engraver George Vertue described him as a man of genteel mien with good features, noting his skill as a performer on the hautboy. Despite his success in the arts, he suffered from gout later in life, which eventually led to his death in London.
