(1745 - 1829), architect, painter, sculptor, s. of James Paine (1717 - 89), whom he first served as clerk of works; studied at St Martin's Lane Acad.; exh. SA 1761 - 4, 1769, 1770 - 3: RA 1781, 1783, 1788; FSA 1771; m. 1773 Elizabeth Crow.
1766 - 9 Rome (1766), Florence (Jan. 1767?), Naples (1767), Venice (1769)
1774 Turin (by 7 Jan. 1774), Rome (3 Feb. - summer)
In his early years James Paine junior wavered in the choice of profession between landscape and view painting, sculpture and architectural design. These interests were all exercised on his two Italian tours.
His first tour was undertaken after he had come of age and inherited some property from his mother.1 A sketch book (VAM), inscribed J. Paine Rome 1766, contains views of Tivoli, Capua, Naples, Vesuvius (1767), Florence and Venice (1769); one leaf is inscribed 'By memory for an antient Base Relievo at Portichi, out of Herculanium, this subject I modelled at Rome in Base Relievo, and was purchased by Sir William Hamilton'. He was probably the 'Paine' who had recently arrived in Florence by 10 January 1767.2 James Barry's Self-portrait (NPG) shows him with Paine and the French painter Dominique Lef?vre. In 1767 Barry wrote that Paine had executed a model of Venus and Adonis, and the 'novelty, genius and agreeable manner with which he has treated it, has got him no small degree of credit'3 (Horace Walpole however was highly critical of Paine's sculpture exhibits at the SA in 1770). In Venice Paine met Joseph Smith who presented him with a copy of the 1768 facsimile edition of Palladio.
Paine undertook his second tour with his wife, immediately after their marriage in August 1773. They were with Alexander Day at Lyons on 23 December 1773 and the party had reached Turin on 7 January 1774.4 Joseph Wright of Derby and his party arrived with them in Rome on 3 February5 and Ozias Humphry, Romney and Parry greeted them on their arrival.6 That summer they suffered much from the heat of Rome.7 Their son, James Thomas (d. 1783), was born, but not christened8 (Romney was to paint his portrait in London in 1776). A second sketch book (VAM) includes studies of antique statues, a measured drawing of a cast of the Medici Venus in the French Academy, and measured plans of the Villa Borghese, the Baths of Diocletian and the Farnese Palace (some signed J. Paine Jr Architect Rome delt).
Paine and his wife had returned to London by 1776 when they were living in Charlotte Street. Paine is said to have continued to give his address as 'Rome' up to 1783 (DBS), and a sketch-book (VAM) has drawings by a J. Paine and John Deare of 1784 - 9 (the sculptor Deare was in Italy from 1785). In his later years Paine pursued a modest practice as a topographical water-colourist.
1. See P. Leach, Architectural History, 27[1984]:392 - 400. 2. Gazz.Tosc. 3. Barry Works, 1:82 (13 Feb. 1767). 4. Humphry corr.MSS, hu/1/146 and 2/1. 5. G.C. Williamson, Humphry, 49. 6. Thorpe letters MSS (12 Feb. 1774). 7.Williamson (at n4), 51. 8. Thorpe letters MSS (10 Aug. 1774).