Brief Biography-William Mulready was born in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland, in 1786. Four years later, the family moved to Leicester Square, London. He entered the Royal Academy as a student in 1800, and in 1802, he married Elizabeth, the sister of his tutor John Varley. Unfortunately, the marriage did not last longer than six years; however, they had three sons who were also artists. Dutch genre scenes influenced Mulready’s works, and he first exhibited them at the Royal Academy in 1804. The Academy elected him an Associate in 1815, and with his painting The Fight Interrupted, he became a full honours member that year. He steadily developed a personal style, and his works were a resounding success. He was also a tireless instructor for students at the Academy. The post office credited Mulready with designing the first penny post envelope, which Rowland Hill issued in 1840. He died at his home in Linden Grove Bayswater in 1863.