English Artists Illustrating Boys' Fashions
Figure 1.--This painting looks modern in style when you first see it from a distance, especially the vibrant colours, almost like a photograph of manequins. The girl's clothes show it to be early 19th century--perhaps the 1830s. Hopefully an expertbon girls' dresses will help us date it. Note the boy's hunting outfit is the same as worn by the modern "blood sport" crowd. Unfortunately I do not know who the artist was. The painting was first attributed to a Swiss artist before finally being attributed to a little known English painter. Click on the image for a fuller discussion.
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English artists perhaps do not have the same stature as some of their cross channel rivals--the French. This is perhaps the French impressionists are today so imprtant a part of our artistic mind set. Certainly English painting was eclipsed by the explosion of impresionistic art in France during the 19th century. There is one areas, however, in which the English were unrivaled and that is portriture in the 18th and early 19th century. The work of Gainborough, Lawrence, Reynolds, and others provide us with some of the most magnificent portraits ever executed. Even landscapist master Constable contrubuted at least one marvelous portrait. The English are also noted for their watercolors, but these tended to focus less on portriture. These masterful portraits of course provide an invaluable record of fashion trends.
Helen Allingham (nee
Paterson) was born near Burton on Trent, the family settling in Birmingham
after the death of her father in 1862. She studied at the Birmingham School
of Design. She is recognized as an important English watercolor painter in the
late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Most of her work is exteriors, but
a few are of her children, often in formal clothes. This provides a rare
insight into play clothes in the late 19th Century as most of the available
portraits and photographs show the children in their dress party clothes.
Sir William Beechey was the foremost portraitist in Britain in the late 18th
and early 19th century. He started his career painting portraits of the landed gentry around Norfolk. He was appointed as the court painter to Quenn Charlotte. He painited the cream of Regency society, including Lord Nelson. His charming portaits of families provide wonderful glimses into Regency society, including children's clothes.
William Bromely was actived during 1835-88. Bromley exhibited extensively in London at the Royal Society of British Artists, the British Institute and the Royal Academy. Even so, little is known about Bromley, except that he was the grandson of the the engraver William Bromley. He is best know for his hostorical and literary paintings. He also painted some wonderful vignittes of English life in the mid-19th century. He began painting just as photography was establishing itself. Even so the technology involved was still limited to static scenes ant fascinating images like "Ready to Fight".
Coleman was born in Birminghamduring 17??. He exhibited at the Royal Academy (1813-48). He contributed to the Royal Birmingham Society of Arts from 1827. He was elected a member of the RBSA in 1826. Coleman is best known for his portraits. We note one portait of a brother and sister, "Portrait of Children with Their Pets" painted late in his career, 1844. The portrait is notable for the boy's very modern-looking clothing. Onterestingly the girl's clothing looks more contemporary.
Dorothy Colles was an artist in oil, pastel and pencil, who was noted for her portraits mainly of children. She was born in Cairo, Egypt, and studied at the Westminster School of Art before World War II with John Farleigh, Bernard Meninsky and Mark Gertler. She not only did children's portraits, but wrote a book about painting children
We note a figurative painting by E. Collier done in 1939. It is in a post expressionist or post modernist style of a boy playing with g with a mah-jong set, a popular game of the time. The tiles are scattered on the floor at his feet. There is a red lacquered workbox at his side. The boy is sitting on the floor wearing a white shirt and green shorts, having blonde hair and looking towards the artist. The painting has been executed with a number of techniques. For the background, the paint has been applied in a textured, almost cubist fashion, in horizontal strokes and then in stroked parallel with the textures of the carpet. We know nothing about the artist at this time.
John Constable is perhaps the most acclaimed English landscape artist. He expalined his goal, "to increase the interest for and study of the Rural Scenery of England with all its endearing associations, its amenities, and even in its most simple locations; abounding as it does in grandeur, and every description of Pastoral Beauty." He also, however, did a number of brilliant portraits. A few of these included children, providing some insights into how wealthy English children dressed in the early 19th century.
We have not yet been able to acquire much information on English artist James Warren Childe. He appears to have been primarily a portratist. A painting by Childe shows child prodigy Sir William Sterndale Bennett in 1832 at age 16 in the uniform of the Royal College of Music, London.
Fisher, Mark (United States/England, 1841-1923)
Mark Fisher is listed as a British artist, although he was born in Boston and studied there at the Lowell Institute.
He went to Paris in 1872 and studied under Gleyre and Corot. He came to England in 1872
and became a member of such societies as N.E.A.... A.R.A.....R.A.....R.I....and R.O.I.
He exhibited at many well know galleries in England and has had several paintings bought
by the Royal Academy under the 'Chantrey Bequest' which now hang in the Tate Gallery
in London. Although primarily a landscape artist he was also known for his portrait.
Joseph Otto Flatter , was born in Vienna in 1894, he was a student at the Vienna Academy of Fine Art. In 1934 he married the concert pianist Hilda Lorwa and settled with her in London. His career was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II and he was in fact, briefly, and quite incorrectly, interned as an "enemy alien". He was soon released and returned to London, when it was realized that he had long standing anti-Nazi convictions. Shortly thereafter, Flatter began producing propaganda material for the British and Allied Governments. At the end of the war, he was invited to attended the Nuremberg Trials as an official British War Artist, sketching the accused and later painting a scene of the trial. Some fvhis portrits show bogs clothing during the first half og the 20th century.
William Powell Frith was the son of domestic servants. he became renowned for his large-scale portraits of modern life subjects such as the railroad station. His renown was so great that he was awarded a commission to paint the Prince of Wales' group wedding portrait. He had some difficulty with the future Edward VII's German nephew Wilhelm. His work commaned high prices in the 1870s.
Marjorie Fuller (née Mostyn) was a 20th century English artist born Bushey. Daughter of Tom Mostyn, the painter. She tudied at St John's Wood Art School and Royal Academy Schools. Awarded the British Institute Scolarship and silver and bronze medals in 1915. Painter of portraits and still-life. Ran St Ives School of Painting with her husband.
Thomas Gainsborough is one of the most renowned portrait painter. He developed the subject-matter of small portrait groups, set in a realistic landscape. Two his most famous portraits are The Blue Boy (1770) and Pink Boy (17??). The boys, one a relative of Gainsbourough, were painted in elaborate satin and lace costumes of the previous century. His early works show the influence of French engraving and of Dutch landscape painting; at Bath his change of portrait style owed much to a close study of van Dyck (his admiration is most clear in The Blue Boy. By the 1780s Gainsborough and his rivals, Joshua Reynolds and Allan Ramsay, were considered to be the best portrait painters in England. All three painted George III but it was claimed that the royal family preferred Gainsborough's portraits.
Green, G.P. (England, Mid-19th Century)
We note a charming pastel by G.P. Green, an English artist. It pictures a little boy and his younger sister. There is no clothing depicted, but the children's short hair styles hair styles are shown. The portrait was made in 1851.
We note a number of highly idealized, rather emotionl paintings by Thomas P. Hall. The British might describe him dismissively as a "chocolate box" painter. He did several memoral naintings involving children such as the "The Altercation", "The Empty Cradle", "The New Arrival", and "The Picnic". Most are relentlessly happy scenes (except "The Empty Cradle"), perhaps explaining his continuing popularity. They are beautifully painted and provide very detailed depictions of the clothing children wear, especially the paintings done in contemprary times. Unfortunately we have been unavle to find any biographical information about Hall.
James Holmes is best known for his portraits of Byron in 1815 and a splendid one of George IV, completed in 1828. Holmes was also the founder and first President of the Society of British Artists. We note a splendid water color on ivory that was exhibited in the Royal Academy in 1840. We do no know the identity of the boy.
William Hogarth is one of the most respected British Artists. He was both an engraver and painter. He aprenticed as a silversmith. After finishing his aprenticeship he began working as an engraver and later turned to painting. His images are some of the most vivid images painted of 18th century England, provide wonderful glimpses of the family life,
especially affluent families, as well as contemporary manners and custims. His detiled images provide extremely accurate depictions of fashions and clothing. Hogarth is also famous for is marvelous satiries on popular life.
Hunt, Charles (England, mid-19th century)
We do not yet know a great deal about Charles Hunt. He has lkeft some fascinating Victorian images. One especially interesting image is "The Wayside Tinker" (1859). The scene seems a bit strained as I wonder how likely it would be for such emacuately dressed Victorian children to encounter tinkers on country strolls. Still it is a wonderful depiction of the contrast between dress of the poor and wealthy in Victorian England. The boy is particularly interesting. He has ringlets curls and wears a velet and lace outfit with patalettes more than two decades before the Little Lord Fauntleroy craze of the 1880s.
William Holman Hunt was an English pre-Raphaelite painter. Hunt worked for several years as a clerk in a London office whivh he hated. He wanted to paint and finally gained admission to the Royal Academy Schools (1844). While studying there he met John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. They were dissatisfied with the governing academic artistic standards. This was the inspiration for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (1848). The Pre-Raphaelites were concerned with enfusing their works with moral content and believed in a relism based on nature study and historical accuracy. Hunt many years later wrote about this in Pre-Raphaelitism and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (1905). Hunt was especially interested in painted Biblical and non-Biblical Middle Eastern scenes. He traveled to the Near East to leann about archaeology and regional landscape. His first trip was an extended one during which he sketched numerous water colors (1854-56). He exhibited these water colors, but also used to paint more elaborate oil works based to varying degrees on his water colors. He was involved with the Old Water-Colour Society for many years. We note some some societ portraits.
We have very limited information on this painter. We know only that he was a painter, art dealer and banker in Rome. One portait shows a boy plying a chello or similar instrumnt dressed in a tightly laced dress. We suspect that he is English.
Edwin Landseer was an English artist notable for his paintings of animals. Landseer was born in London. His father was John Landseer ARA. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1815. He was only 13 years old, one of the youngest artists ever to exhibit at the Royal Academy. He was elected ARA in 1826 and RA in 1831. He was knighted in 1850 and was awarded a
gold medal at the Paris Exhibition of 1855. Landseer was elected President of the Royal Academy in 1866, but declined the honor. While known for his animal portrait, we note a charming portrait of a brother and sister.
Famed portrait painter Sir Thomas Lawrence was born in Bristol. He entered the Royal Academy as a student in 1787 and exhibited a number of paintings in his first year. He won recognition for his portrait of Miss Farren, an actress. He beccame the fashionable prtrait painter of his day, and on the death of Sir. Joshua Reynolds in
1792, he was made principal painter to King George III, who knighted him in 1815. Lawrence is especially noted for his children's portraits for which he was unsurpassed in his day. These portraits are a rich source of information on fashionable children's
wear of the day. His portrait of The Calmady Children is generally regarded as his masterpiece of this genre. Larence, Gainsborough, and Reynolds represent the apex of distinctive English portrait painters.
Victoria Pre-Raphaelite painter. She did some charming portraits of children and families.
English portrait and historical painter born in Southhampton. He exhibited at the Royal Acadeny when he was only 17 years old. His Pizarro Seizing the Inca of Peru is considered on of the best historical works shown. He became associated with the Pre-Raphaelites, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Holman Hunt. His first Pre-Raphaelite painting was a scene from the Isabela of Keats, recalled the manner of the early Flemish and Italian masters. He mairred Euphenmia Gray in 1855. He was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1856. Other major works
include Chill October (1871), The Northwest Passage (1873), and Effie Deams (1877). His work includes several portraits of children, providing fascinating glimpses of the clothes wor by wealthy children during the second half of the 19th Century. Millais was created a baronet by Queen Victoria in 1885 and elected president of the Royal Academy in 1896. There's a new exhibition of Millais portraits in London during 1999. One critic in reviewing the exhibit bemoaned how the painter abandoned the pre-Raphaelites to paint society portraits including "sickly sweet portraits of children."
Mitchell, J.T. (England/America, 17??-18??)
J.T. Mitchell was a well-known British-American miniaturist who exhibited in London between 1798 and 1830 and was also active in the United States. We note some portraits of children. We do not have confirmed portraits by him. We do note a minature that one dealer attributes to Mitchell, "Portrait of a Boy" (1801). The boy is unidentified, but we believe that he is English.
Robert Peake the Elder was at the turn of the 17th century one of the most notable English painters. He painted the age Queen Elizabeth as well as several portaits of James I's family, including the Prince of Wales Henry Fredeick. Robert Peake who was born in Lincolnshire (about 1551). As a boy he was aprenticed to a goldsmith in Cheapside. He develped his skills and became accepted as a Freeman of the Goldsmith’s Company. He worked for the Offices of the Revels (1576). He was one of six "Paynters" that worked on court festivities. He was emoloyed by the court to do decorative work for several years. Gradually his work became well enough established that he opened a portrait studio. He is mentioned in Francis Mere’s Palladis Tamia (1598) and was one of the leading English portraitists. It is at this time that he received commissions to paint Queen Elizabeth, including a procession portrait (1600). He was careful to depict her as a young woman. James I ascened to the throne (1603). James was an avid huntstman, but rather scholarly and an avid theolgian. He tended to defer to his wife, Anne of Denmark on artistic matter. Peake received a commission to paint portraits of the two elder Royal children, Prince Henry and Princess Elizabeth.
Joshua Reynolds, the son of a clergyman, was born near Plymouth in 1723. He was sent to London to study art in 1740. He was apprenticed to Thomas Hudson but William
Hogarth and Allan Ramsay had the most influence of his style. After a period in Rome (1749-52), Reynolds returned to England where he established himself as one of country's leading portrait painters. Leading figures painted by Reynolds inclu ded Josiah Wedgwood, Warren Hastings, Sir Joseph Banks and David Garrick. When the Royal Academy was established in 1768, Reynolds was elected its first president. The following year he was knighted. One of the masters of the age with whiuch he competed was Sir Thomas Gainsbourgh. Like Gainbourouh, he painted one of the famed colored boys--in Reynolds case the "Brown Boy". In 1784 Reynolds was appointed as painter to George III. However, 5 years later his sight began to deteriorate and he was forced to give up painting.
George Richmond was an eminent Victorian artist, drawing many of the greats of the era, men like John Ruskin and Charles Dickens. He was a hugely prolific artist, both painting and drawing. Richmond was also a noted engraver. He amassed a trenmendous body of work, including some wonderful portraits of children.
We have been unable to find any biographical information on this English artist. He was active during the late Regency and early Victorian eras and that he at least sometimes painted on wood. We have noted a portrait by him of Reginald Henry Bean with his wife Emma (daughter of J.R. Lucas of the Nailsea
Glassworks) and family on the Backwell Hill painted in 1829. It is a wonderful example of Regency clothing.
George Romney was born in Kendal, Lancashire. His father was a cabinetmaker. Romney studied under portrait artist, Christopher Steele. Romney began his career traveling and painting portraits. He was sucessful and acquired a modest reputation in priovincial towns. This gave him the money to travel to Italy where he could both Classical and Renaissance works. Upon returning to England, Romney renwed his career in London, not only the capital but a lively cosmopolitan city which was where an artist could show off his work (1762). He did many wonderful portrairs. He desired to expand his body of wotk by painting historical works. He was never very successful with this. His work began to decline after meeting Emma Hart (1781). He became obseessed with Emma and painted numerous portraits of her. As a result, he had less time for commisions and his careet suffered. He eventually retuned to Kendal where he descended into mental illness. He left us, however, many notable portraits.
Rossetti, Daniel Gabriel (England, 1828-82)
Dante Gabriel Rossetti is considered to be the central figure of the English Pre-Raphaelite artists. He not only started the original Brotherhood with Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais,but he was also the poetic inspiration of the movement. Daniel was born in London in London in 1828. His father had come to England in 1824 and was a professor of Italian at King's College, London. Rossetti is known for several glorious alegorical paintings. One. "The Beloved" included an American slave boy he noticed in London. It was painted while the Civil War was being fought in America.
Edwin Dalton Smith was an accomplished pre-Victorian portratist specialising in portrait miniatures. He was taught by his father, Anker Smith (1759-1819), who was himself a noted engraver and miniaturist. Smith has left us some cahrming early 19th century portraits showing boys' clothing--although the small size does not provide the detail available in the work of other artists. Edwin’s skill in small-scale work is clearly shown in the extensive botanical work that he also did.
Abraham Solomon (1824-62) was a successful English Victorian painter specializied in contemporary social scenes and in other genres. His younger brother was the Pre-Raphaelite painter Simeon Solomon, and his sister Rebecca Solomon was also a notable painter. Abraham was born in London, and studied at the Bloomsbury School beginning in 1824. Solomon's
"The Acolyte", an early work, was painted in 1842. It shows a boy wearing liturgical vestments, swinging a thurible.
We note a fine watercolor on ivory of a young boy leaning on a desk and holding a book (figure 2). Note the lace collar and use of buttons. This minaiture was reprtedly attributed by Sotheby's, London to Jeremiah Steele, an English artist working in the first third of the 19th century. It is undated, but was probably painted about 1820.
Thomas Stothard was a noted painter, designer, and book illustrator. He was born in London (1755).
His father was a successful innkeeper at Long Acre. He was a delicate child and therefore his parents when he was 5 years old sent him to live with relatives in the country which was seen as more healthful.
He began school at Acomb. He also went to school at Tadcaster and at Ilford (Essex). He demonstrated a talent for drawing. His father thus apprenticed to a draughtsman of patterns for brocaded silks who had a shop at Spitalfields. Stothard as a diversion drew illustrations inspired by poets he read. His drawings were noted by Harrison, editor of the Novelist's Magazine. Stothard decided to persue a career in art. He was admitted as a student at the Royal Academy (1778). He left a prolific body of work. He liked best to paint historical sunjects, especially smaller sized works. Even so, some of his historical work was of monumental sizes. His most memorable commissions were the decorative staircase at Burghley House and the dome of the Advocates’ Library in Edinburgh. He also did illustrations ffor books, mostly novels and poetry.
This French painter fled France after the French Commune in 1871 and lived and worked in England where he was widly popular. Modern critics consider his work insipid and sugary. Sugary it is, but it is also technically skilled and provides us marvelosly detailed windows into the life of the Victorian family--however idealized. His images provide fascinating glimes on the children appearing in all the static studio shots of the late 19th Century.
The distinguished English painter Henry Scott Tuke devoted almost his entire career to painting boys and young men. We were not sure wheter to include him on the HBC list, however, as he generall painted them nude or semi-nude without much attention to clothing. Thus his work is of less interest to HBC than other painters we have listed who often painted only a few boys. We finally decided to include him when a reader submitted this entry because as HBC has evolved over time we have gradually devoped into a wider concern with childhood than an exclusive concern with clothing. Tuke's favorite subject was nude boys in seaside locations (usually Cornwall), but he did paint some images of boys who are partially clothed. There is nothing prurient or pornographic in his work. An example which is now in the Bristol City Museum in England, shows a boy wearing only a shirt, underwear, and straw hat, while his companion is already in the sea with his head above the water. It is quite a charming evocation of boyish innocence.
Waters, W.R. (England, mid-19th century)
We know little about English artist W.R. Waters, except that he was active in the mid-19th century. We do notice a portrait he painted of an unidentified child in 1851. The child wears a burgandy dress with a lace collar and straw hat. We are unsure if the child is a boy or girl. The child holds a riding crop which suggesrs to us that it may be a boy. The child leans on a large St. bernard dog.
George Frederick Watts was a major English artist during the Victorian era. Watts knew most of the Pre-Raphaelites, and was an important influence on the younger ones. He can not be easily clasified as part of any School or group. He struck on his own and is especially known for main allegorical pictures of consideranle note. He also painted many portraits providing us a few glimpses of clothing styles incliding boys' clothing.
West, Benjamin (English America/England, 1815-55)
This American primitive artist painted many New England portraits, providing much valuable information on individual fashion in the era before children's fashions were extensilvely covered. This was was especially important in the a period before photography began to provide detailed images.
HBC at this time has virtually no information on English portratist John. R. Wildman. We do know that he was active during 1823-39. We know of one charming portarit of children showing a boy wearing a skeleton suit, but are unfamiliar with his complete body of work.
Winterhalter was one of the most important Victorian portrait painters. While German, he painted the crown heads of Europe. He was Victoria's favorite portrait painter. He painted two of the most famous portrits used by HBC. One of course is the young Edward VII wearing a white sailor suit--few paintings had more impact on boys' fashions. The other famous Winterhalter painting used by HBC is of the young royal family. While Winthalter was German, he did so many commissions in England, especially for the royal family, that he could not be omitted in a list of English art.
Joseph Wright is sometimes referred to s Wright of Derby. He was an inovative paintr who is noted for the artistic treatment of industrial subjects. He lived and workjed in Derby which was at the centr of England's industial develoment. He is also knon as particularly gifted in his ability to depict artificial light. He did severl portrairs, including some of children.
W.F. Yeames was the son of a wealthy British diplomat. william displayed artistic talents at quite a youthful
age. His parents encouraged his interest in art as a young boy. The family began an extended toured Italy in 1841 when William was 6 years old, in part to expose him to the work of the Italian masters. While still in Italy, William's father died in 1842. The family then went to live in Dresden. William was tutored at hom with special attention given to artistic studies. William in while only 13 years old moved to London. There he studied under a noted sculptor, Westmacott, as well as George Scharf. After his studies in London, William again traved in Italy. Hi first exhibit at the Royal Academy after is return to England during 1854. His traditional style and heroic historical subjects made him very popular with the English establishment. He became ARA in 1866 and was elected RA in 1878, and finally Librarian at the Academy. He held many other offices such as Curator of the Painted Hall at Greenwich. One of his more notable paintings was a Civil War scene, "Where did you last see your father?"
We have found some paintings which we believe to be English, but of course are not sure. Several offer fascinating depictions of children's clothes. Unfortunaly as the artist is unknown, it is difficult to date the paintings with any precession.
Note
We have for archival purposes ordered these artists alphabetically. We will eventually make a chronological version of this page to allow the reader to better follow fashion trends over time as illustrated in this work. We have used the list, for example to try to assess the ringlet curl fashion in England which can be viewed in the English ringlet curl section of HBC where we have listed individual examples.
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Created: June 23, 1999
Last updated: 6:01 PM 5/10/2009