English Artists: Charles Spencelayh (1823-62)

Figure 1.--Charles Spencelayh is known for his detailed genre studies. He often painted portraits in genre settings. We note quite a few images of older men and very few images of children. His sibjects are invariably everyday people involved in ordinary life. His paintings are thus a gold mind for those interested in life during the late-19th and early-20th century. He is rather the anthesis of Sargent, no rich people in elegant clothing, but the clothing is depicted in extrodinary affection and detail. He painted 'The white rat' in 1899. It is one of Spencelayh's few paingings of children. Notice the depiction of a working-class boy and his clothing. We would guess that the implication of the clothing is that the boy has left school. The work is somewhat unusual because there is no genre background setting, but he has no stintened on the detailed depiction of the boy. One interesting aspect here. As this is a white rat, it woukd be one the boy would have had to buy and keep in a cage. We wonder if mum appreciated that.

Charles Spencelayh was born in Rochester, Kent (1865). His father was Henry Spencelayh, an engineer and iron brass founder. We know nothing about his childhood, but coming from a prosperous family we can assume it was a pleasant comfortable one. His father could afford a quality education. He entered the National Art Training School (Royal College of Art) (1885). He then studied at the Royal Academy as well as in Paris. He was a very private man. Some authors have described him as a mysteryman. We know little about his personal life. We know he married and had a son, Vernon, and a stepson. Vernon who studied under his father and had some success as a painter and ivory miniaturist. Spencelayh had few friends among the artistic community. Spencelayh began exhibiting (1892). He was a masterful academic artist. He is sometimes described as a Victorian artist, but he painted only the last decade of the Victorian period. He is more correctly identified as an Edwardian artist. He is certainly among the most genre paintings of the late-19th and early-20th century. He had a considerable reputation in his day, including among the royal family. His work was almost entirely British. He is best knoen for his oils, but he also worked in water color and other mediums. Some art experts are particularly impressed with his water colors. He also did some excellenht minatures. He was the artist who painted the famous a micro-miniature of King George V for Queen Mary’s celebrated doll house. He is known for his detailed genre studies. He combined a gentle sentimental attachmenbt with an unsurpassed attention for detail. Few artists have managed to surpass him in that regard. He often painted portraits in genre settings rather mutiple person wider formats often used fotr genre painting. We note quite a few images of older men and very few images of children. His subjects are invariably everyday people involved in ordinary life. His paintings are thus a gold mind for those interested in the life of the common man life during the late-19th and early-20th century. Spencelayh is rather the anthesis of Seargent, no rich people in elegant clothing, but the clothing is depicted in extrodinary affection and detail, even more detail than the luxrious clothing of elite socirty. . One contemprary art expert described him as ‘the modern Meissonier of British Domestic life’. He described himself as a lover of Dickens', but as far as we know he never depiced a Dikensian work.

HBC

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main English art page]
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Cloth and textiles] [Clothing styles] [Countries] [Topics]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Images] [Links] [Registration] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]

Created: 5:36 PM 8/23/2011
Last updated: 5:36 PM 8/23/2011