James Cranke

Born at Little Urswick, near BarrowinFurness, he lived there for most of his life. He was trained as a plasterer, but became a selftaught portrait painter and attempted to make his name in London c. 173752. He attended St. Martins Lane Academy and in 1744 he married a wellknown heiress and opened his own studio in Bloomsbury Square. Several art historians have recognised that he may have been more prolific had ill health not forced him to return home. His chosen medium was oil on canvas.

James Cranke taught the wellknown artist George Romney how to paint when he was a small boy. Romney was born at Beckside, DaltoninFurness, which was close to the home of the Cranke Family. James Cranke taught one of his sons, James Cranke Jr , to follow him as a portrait painter.

Source: Wikipedia