His Last Years

Maclise continued to work to the end of his life. His last painting was The Earls of Ormond and Desmond, exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1870, the year of his untimely death. He was also an active member of the RA's council, and served as a juror at the Paris Exhibition of 1855. But it is certain the years of gruelling work in the Palace of Westminster, the death of the Prince Consort, and the cancellation of expected commissions, as well as the death of his sister, Isabella, all contributed to a general decline in his health. He died at Cheyne Walk, London, on 25 April 1870, and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery.