Thomas Cooper Gotch
1854-1931
English
Thomas Cooper Gotch Gallery
In Newlyn he worked first at painting local scenes in the then-fashionable realist manner. But even these often had a romantic edge, such as The Wizard or an obvious love of surface colour.
In 1891 a visit to Florence, Italy, opened his eyes to the work of the romantic European symbolists. He took the brave step of changing his style, to make romantic decorative paintings, when the prevailing fashion was against him. His first work in this new style was My Crown and Sceptre (1892), which was the progenitor to his most well-known work The Child Enthroned (1894). The latter, on original exhibition, was hailed by The Times newspaper as the star of that year's Royal Academy show. Until that time, his new style of work had drawn much critical scorn.
He painted religious Christian scenes, history painting, portraits, and a few landscapes. His best-known paintings, which form the bulk of his work, usually portray girl-children in ornate classical or medievalist dress. The appearance of the girls in his paintings is often noted as being very modern. Gotch was a close and lifelong friend of Henry Scott Tuke, whose work featured a parallel focus on the boy-child. Gotch's lifelong adoration of the beautiful girl-child was shared by other Victorian giants such as John Ruskin and Lewis Carroll.
His emotionally-charged work was immensely popular and critically acclaimed for most of his life, although interest in neo-romanticism waned after the First World War and he turned to watercolours of flowers. He also illustrated books, such as Round About Wiltshire, The Land of Pardons (an early study of Breton folklore & Celtic Christianity), and contributed illustrations to school readers such as Highroads of Literature.
A retrospective show was held in Newcastle in 1910, and a memorial exhibition in Kettering in 1931. Related Paintings of Thomas Cooper Gotch :. | Alleluia | Portrait of the artist's wife | The Child Enthroned | The Orchard | They Come | Related Artists: Haughton Forrest1826-1925 Wilhelm Marstrand(24 December 1810 - 25 March 1873), painter and illustrator, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to Nicolai Jacob Marstrand, instrument maker and inventor, and Petra Othilia Smith. Marstrand is one of the most renowned artists belonging to the Golden Age of Danish Painting.
Marstrand studied at Copenhagen's Metropolitan School (Metropolitanskolen), but had little interest in books, and left around 16 years of age. Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, painter and professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Art (Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi) in Copenhagen, was a close friend of Wilhelm's father, and it was to all appearance Eckersberg who recommended an artistic career for young Wilhelm. Wilhelm had already shown artistic talent, tackling difficult subjects such as group scenes with many figures and complicated composition.
At 16 years of age Marstrand thus began his studies at the Academy under Eckersberg, attending the school from 1826 to 1833. Although his interests had a firm hold in genre themes - depiction of the daily life he observed around him in Copenhagen's streets, especially middle class society - he would soon reach for the pinnacle of Academic acceptability: the history painting.
History painting displayed what was grand - classical themes from mythology and history, rather than daily life. The traditions, and the taste of traditional art critics, strongly favored it. It was therefore something to strive for, in spite of Marstrand's equal skill at depicting more modest themes, and of the enjoyment he had in portraying the crowds, the diversions of the city, and the humor and story behind the hustle and bustle. Marstrand's creative production would, through many paintings and illustrations made not only during the 1830s but throughout his life, never abandon this inclination toward displaying the simple life of his times.
At the same time Christian Waagepetersen, wine merchant to the Danish court and supporter of the arts, also became an important patron for Marstrand during this early period. His painting "A musical evening party" (Et musikalsk aftenselskab) (1834), depicts such an occasion at the home of Waagepetersen, and was an important transition painting for Marstrand.
Despite an unmistakably growing recognition, Marstrand never received the Academy's gold medal. This medal was coveted not only for its great prestige, but also because it came with a travel stipend for furthering the laureate's artistic training. Marstrand's attempts at winning the medal were unsuccessful both in 1833 with his neoclassical "Flight to Egypt" (Flugten til Ægypten) and in 1835 with "Odysseus and Nausikaa". This was a disappointment, as he had won both available silver medals in 1833.
johann friedrich august tischbeinGerman Painter, 1750-1812. 1750 Maastricht ?C Heidelberg 1812. First he was a pupil of his father Johann Valentin Tischbein (1715-1768) in Hildburghausen, from 1768 one of his uncle Johann Heinrich Tischbein the elder (1722-1789) in Kassel.
Supported by Prince Friedrich von Waldeck he stayed in Paris from 1772 until 1777, where he studied at the academy of arts under N. B. L??pici?? (1735-1784).
Afterwards he travelled to Rome, where he got in contact with the painters A.R. Mengs (1728-1779), J.L. David (1748-1825) and Fr.H. F??ger (1751-1818) and probably also with the English style of portrait painting. 1779 he travelled to Naples.
In 1780 he returned to Arolsen via Vienna, Munich, Stuttgart and Kassel, where he worked for the Prince of Waldeck. From 1780 he was his councillor
and court painter. During this time he made several journeys e.g. to Holland and after 1785 to Weimar where he met Wieland (1785), Schlegel (1792) and other important people.
From 1795 he worked for Leopold III. of Anhalt-Dessau. 1800 he succeeded A. Fr. Oeser (1717-1799) as director of the academy of arts in Leipzig. From 1806 to 1808 he stayed in St Petersburg. He died 1812 when he visited his daughter Caroline Wilken (1783-1843) in Heidelberg
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