The Raising of Lazarus

George Thomas Doo RA (1800 - 1886)

RA Collection: Art

Doo worked for eight years on his plate of The Raising of Lazarus, after the painting by Sebastiano del Piombo in the National Gallery. It which was finally finished and published by Colnaghi in 1865. This work, which contemporaries regarded as his finest engraving, was submitted to the Royal Academy collection as his Diploma Work following his election as an RA.

For much of his career as an engraver, George Thomas Doo (1800-1886) was not permitted to become a Royal Academician as the laws of the institution excluded engravers at this time. The RA was prepared to ‘admit six engravers, as associates only’, without the possibility of becoming full members. Doo was among the most vociferous in his criticism of this situation, and in 1826 he was one of nine engravers who signed a petition vowing never to become candidates for election to the RA until it permitted engravers to become full members. Doo, who was Historical Engraver to the Queen, sought the support of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, leading to the creation of a new category of Academician Engravers at the Royal Academy in 1853. Their numbers were severely restricted however, maintaining the subordinate status of engravers as a class within the RA. In 1856 Doo was elected Associate Engraver and the following year he became one of the first Academician Engravers, elected by the chairman's casting vote. He retired in 1866.