Robert Graves

Robert von Ranke Graves (also known as Robert Ranke Graves and most commonly Robert Graves) (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was an English poet, novelist, critic and classicist. During his long life he produced more than 140 works. Graves's poems—together with his translations and innovative analysis and interpretations of the Greek myths; his memoir of his early life, including his role in the First World War, Good-Bye to All That; and his speculative study of poetic inspiration, The White Goddess—have never been out of print.

He earned his living from writing, particularly popular historical novels such as I, Claudius, King Jesus, The Golden Fleece and Count Belisarius. He also was a prominent translator of Classical Latin and Ancient Greek texts; his versions of The Twelve Caesars and The Golden Ass remain popular, for their clarity and entertaining style. Graves was awarded the 1934 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for both I, Claudius and Claudius the God.

Early life

Graves was born into a middle-class family in Wimbledon, then part of Surrey, now part of London. He was the third of five children born to Alfred Perceval Graves (1846–1931), an Anglo-Irish school inspector, Gaelic scholar and the author of the popular song "Father O'Flynn", and his second wife, Amalie von Ranke (1857–1951). Graves's mother was from a recently ennobled German family, the eldest daughter of Heinrich von Ranke, a professor of medicine at the University of Munich, and his wife, Luise Tiarks. She was also a greatniece of the German historian Leopold von Ranke.

Robert Graves (engraver)

Robert Graves (1798–1873) was an English line engraver.

Life

He was born in Tottenham Court Road on 7 May 1798; his father and grandfather, both Robert Graves, were printsellers in London. He became in 1812 a pupil of John Romney, the line engraver, and at the same time studied in the life school in Ship Yard, Temple Bar. He executed in pen and ink facsimiles of rare prints on commissions from collectors. Before long he decided to concentrate on engraving.

In 1836 Graves was elected an associate engraver of the Royal Academy, in succession to James Fittler. He presented as his diploma work a portrait of Lord Byron, after Thomas Phillips.

Graves died of paralysis at 20 Grove Terrace, Highgate Road, London, on 28 February 1873, and was buried in Highgate cemetery.

Works

Among Graves's earliest works were some of the plates in James Caulfield's Portraits, Memoirs, and Characters of Remarkable Persons from the Revolution in 1688 to the end of the Reign of George II, London, 1819–20. These were followed by portraits and vignettes for J. F. Dove's English Classics and other works. His first exhibited work, a medallion portrait of Sir Mark Masterman Sykes, after Peter Rouw, appeared in 1824 in the first exhibition of the Society of British Artists, where other small plates by him appeared until 1830. He engraved some of the portraits of the deans of Westminster for John Preston Neale's History and Antiquities of the Abbey Church of St. Peter, Westminster, 1818–23, and the portraits for Gilbert Burnet's History of the Reformation, 1838 edition.

Robert Graves (disambiguation)

Robert Graves (1895–1985) was an English poet, translator and novelist.

Robert Graves may also refer to: