George John Pinwell
Encyclopedia
George John Pinwell was a British
watercolour painter
.
He was born at Wycombe
and received his art education at educated at St. Martin's Lane Academy
and Heatherley's Academy
. He belonged to the little group of watercolour painters which included Frederick Walker
and Arthur Boyd Houghton
, a group whose style was directly derived from the practice of drawing upon wood for book illustration. Pinwell was one of the most delightful book illustrators of his day, poetic in imagination, with considerable inventive power and an admirable sense of colour. His promising career was cut short by his early death.
He came from a poor background, but in 1862 he entered Heatherley's studio and there obtained his art education. His earliest drawings appeared in Littiput Levée. He did a little work for Fun and executed several designs for the silversmiths, Elkington's
. In 1863 his first drawing appeared in Once a Week
and from that time his work was in constant demand. There are many of his compositions in Good Words, The Sunday Magazine, The Quiver and London Society, but his most important productions made for the Dalziel brothers were illustrations of Oliver Goldsmith
, of Jean Ingelow
's poems, * Robert Buchanan
's Ballads of the Affections, and the Arabian Nights.
Pinwell's coloured pictures are distinguished by a remarkable, jewel-like quality and marked by his strong love of pure, bright colour and opalescent effect. Best-known are two scenes from the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Gilbert à Becket
's Troth, Out of Tune or The Old Cross, A Seat in St James's Park, and The Elixir of Life.
In 1874 Pinwell fell seriously ill and went to Africa
for the winter. He painted several remarkable pictures at Tangier
, but his strength gradually broke down and he returned to die in his wife's arms. Pinwell was an exhibitor at the Dudley gallery, and in 1869 was elected associate of the Royal Watercolour Society
and full member in 1870. To this gallery he contributed fifty-nine works. A posthumous exhibition of his works was held in 1876 in Bond Street
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
watercolour painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.
He was born at Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
and received his art education at educated at St. Martin's Lane Academy
St. Martin's Lane Academy
The St. Martin's Lane Academy, which was the precursor of the Royal Academy, was organized in 1735 by William Hogarth, from the circle of artists and designers who gathered at Slaughter's Coffee House at the upper end of St. Martin's Lane, London. The artistic set that introduced the Rococo style...
and Heatherley's Academy
Heatherley School of Fine Art
The Heatherley School of Fine Art was named after Thomas Heatherley who took over as principal from James Mathews Leigh . Founded in 1845, the school is affectionately known as Heatherley's...
. He belonged to the little group of watercolour painters which included Frederick Walker
Frederick Walker (painter)
Frederick Walker was an English social realist painter and illustrator described by Sir John Everett Millais as "the greatest artist of the century".__NOEDITSECTION__-Early Life and training:...
and Arthur Boyd Houghton
Arthur Boyd Houghton
Arthur Boyd Houghton , who usually signed his name A. B. Houghton, was a British painter and illustrator.Born in Kotagiri, Madras, India on 13 March 1836 and died in London on 25 Nov 1875....
, a group whose style was directly derived from the practice of drawing upon wood for book illustration. Pinwell was one of the most delightful book illustrators of his day, poetic in imagination, with considerable inventive power and an admirable sense of colour. His promising career was cut short by his early death.
He came from a poor background, but in 1862 he entered Heatherley's studio and there obtained his art education. His earliest drawings appeared in Littiput Levée. He did a little work for Fun and executed several designs for the silversmiths, Elkington's
Elkington & Co.
Elkington & Co. was a silver manufacturer from Birmingham, England.It was founded by George Richards Elkington and his brother, Henry Elkington, in the 1830s. It operated under the name G. R. Elkington & Co. until 1842, when a third partner, Josiah Mason, joined the firm. It operated as Elkington,...
. In 1863 his first drawing appeared in Once a Week
Once A Week (magazine)
Once A Week was an English weekly illustrated literary magazine published by Bradbury and Evans. According to John Sutherland, "[h]istorically the magazine's main achievement was to provide an outlet for [an] innovative group of illustrators [in] the 1860s."The magazine was founded in consequence...
and from that time his work was in constant demand. There are many of his compositions in Good Words, The Sunday Magazine, The Quiver and London Society, but his most important productions made for the Dalziel brothers were illustrations of Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith was an Irish writer, poet and physician known for his novel The Vicar of Wakefield , his pastoral poem The Deserted Village , and his plays The Good-Natur'd Man and She Stoops to Conquer...
, of Jean Ingelow
Jean Ingelow
Jean Ingelow , was an English poet and novelist.- Early life and education :Born at Boston, Lincolnshire, she was the daughter of William Ingelow, a banker...
's poems, * Robert Buchanan
Robert Buchanan
Robert Buchanan is the name of:* Bob Buchanan , American baseball player* Robert Williams Buchanan , Scottish writer* Robert Buchanan , Scottish footballer...
's Ballads of the Affections, and the Arabian Nights.
Pinwell's coloured pictures are distinguished by a remarkable, jewel-like quality and marked by his strong love of pure, bright colour and opalescent effect. Best-known are two scenes from the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Gilbert à Becket
Gilbert Abbott à Beckett
Gilbert Abbott à Beckett was an English humorist.He was born in London, the son of a lawyer, and belonged to a family claiming descent from Thomas Becket...
's Troth, Out of Tune or The Old Cross, A Seat in St James's Park, and The Elixir of Life.
In 1874 Pinwell fell seriously ill and went to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
for the winter. He painted several remarkable pictures at Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
, but his strength gradually broke down and he returned to die in his wife's arms. Pinwell was an exhibitor at the Dudley gallery, and in 1869 was elected associate of the Royal Watercolour Society
Royal Watercolour Society
The Royal Watercolour Society is an English institution of painters working in watercolours...
and full member in 1870. To this gallery he contributed fifty-nine works. A posthumous exhibition of his works was held in 1876 in Bond Street
Bond Street
Bond Street is a major shopping street in the West End of London that runs north-south through Mayfair between Oxford Street and Piccadilly. It has been a fashionable shopping street since the 18th century and is currently the home of many high price fashion shops...
.
External links
- George Pinwell ("The idyllists" - southwilts.com)
- George Pinwell (Victorian web)