Samuel Dixon (fl.1748-1769) Irish
Son of Thomas Dixon hosier and John Dixon the engraver. It is recorded that by 1748 Dixon was operating as a painter and picture dealer at Cork Hill in Dublin, where he sold "flower pieces, drawings in Indian Ink, landscapes in oyl for chimneys and small ditto done on vellum in watercolour fit for ladies closets". Dixon became renowned for his works in "basso relievo" depicting birds and flowers. The embossed effect was created by impressing the designs onto the paper from the reverse to create the characteristic low relief effect. The designs were then embellished in colour by hand by both himself and assistants working at the property. They were elegantly presented in "gold, peartree and Japanned frames" and issued as sets of twelve, the prints were exceptionally popular in illustrious circles, most probably abetted by the original dedications often made to aristocratic individuals upon the surround. By 1755, the artist advertised an auction of his stock, which represented a move away from this technique of producing paintings and entering into the business of printing fabrics from metal plates. After initial successes, this business came to an end soon after 1764. It was at this time that Dixon moved to London opening a picture shop where he held an exhibition of his works. He returned to Dublin in 1768 contributing to the Society of Artists exhibition, with three flower pieces in watercolour. With a return back to London in 1769 Dixon died.