Brief Biography-Sir Frederick William Burton was born in Corofin, Co Clare, Ireland. His father was an amateur artist who took him to Dublin at sixteen for tuition at the Royal Dublin Society Schools. While watercolours were his main work, he started with miniatures. He exhibited a religious painting at the Royal Hibernian Academy when he was only sixteen. Samuel Lover, the songwriter, novelist, and miniaturist, influenced him. Samuel’s most famous quote was when once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen. Frederick began his career touring Ireland, sketching and doing watercolour portraits as he went. His friend, the artist George Petrie had some influence on his work. He visited Germany regularly, and one such visit lasted for seven years when Maximillian II of Bavaria engaged him. He learned a great deal about art during his stay in Germany. For example, there is a German influence in his famous painting, The Meeting on the Turret Stairs. He became a member of the Royal Society of Painters in London. Along with many other appointments, he was eventually made Director of the National Gallery in London in 1874. He was successful in his post for acquiring numerous notable works by the great masters and became knighted in 1884. However, he sadly ceased painting after he was appointed Director of The National Gallery .