Philip James de Loutherbourg
1740
—
1812
Franco-British painter (1740-1812)
Philip James de Loutherbourg, RA was a French-born British painter who became known for his large naval works, his elaborate set designs for London theatres, and his invention of a mechanical theatre called the "Eidophusikon". He also had an interest in faith-healing and the occult, and was a companion of the confidence-trickster Alessandro Cagliostro.