George Morland: A Life Painted in Shadow and Light Born in London on June 26, 1763 (or possibly May 26th, according to his own account), George Morland’s life was a turbulent tapestry woven with threads of prodigious talent, dissolute living, and ultimately, premature death. His early years were marked by an apprenticeship under his father, Henry Morland, a painter who dabbled in portraiture, fantasy scenes, restoration work, and even forgery – a profession that undoubtedly shaped young George’s understanding of the art market and its potential for deception. This familial legacy instilled w…