Henry Clarence Whaite
Encyclopedia
Henry Clarence Whaite often referred to as Clarence Whaite (1828–1912) was an English
artist who is best known for his landscape paintings of Wales
. In his later life Whaite married and settled in Wales, and was one of the leading figures in the formation of both the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art
and the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts
.
in 1828 and was educated at Manchester Grammar School
before matriculating to the Manchester School of Design. He later moved to London to complete he education, studying at Leigh's School in Newman Street also attending art studies with the Royal Academy
at Somerset House
.
After a trip to Switzerland in the early 1850s, Whaite was taken in by the grandeur of the Alps, which influenced the subject matter of his artistic work for the rest of his life. On returning to Britain, he sought out the mountainous landscape of north Wales, choosing to settle in the Conwy Valley. While in Wales he sought to form a national Academy, and with other English and local Welsh artists formed the Cambrian Academy of Art in 1881. In 1876 he married a local woman, Jane Alice Griffiths, and they had one daughter, Lily Florence Whaite, who would also become a notable artist.
He died in 1912 and was buried at Llangelynnin
New Church.
themes as in The Awakening of Christian (c. 1885) and Arthur in the Gruesome Glen. In 1859 he was one of the artists who founded the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts. The same year he exhibited at the London Academy in London, and it is said that John Ruskin
criticised his work, in particular his overly minute execution. This criticism was accepted by Whaite, who adopted a bolder style to his work influenced by Turner
.
In 1881 Whaite led a group of English and Welsh artists in forming the Cambrian Academy of Art, later the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art, the first art Academy
in Wales. He later became the President of the Cambrian Academy and in 1892 became president of the Manchester Academy, a post he held until his death. A bronze
of Whaite by Irish artist John Cassidy
was commissioned and completed in 1898.
His oil paintings often used spots of pure colour, a consequence of his interest in colour theory, which may have pre-empted the pointillism
strand of Impressionism that developed elsewhere in Europe.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
artist who is best known for his landscape paintings of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. In his later life Whaite married and settled in Wales, and was one of the leading figures in the formation of both the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art
Royal Cambrian Academy of Art
The Royal Cambrian Academy of Art is a centre of excellence for art in Wales. Its main gallery is located in Conwy and it has over a hundred members.thumb|right|240px|Plas Mawr, Conwy-Early history:...
and the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts
Manchester Academy of Fine Arts
The Manchester Academy of Fine Arts is a society established in 1859 for the purpose of organising Annual Open Exhibitions in Manchester City Art Gallery, formerly the Manchester Institution...
.
Personal history
Wahite was born in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in 1828 and was educated at Manchester Grammar School
Manchester Grammar School
The Manchester Grammar School is the largest independent day school for boys in the UK . It is based in Manchester, England...
before matriculating to the Manchester School of Design. He later moved to London to complete he education, studying at Leigh's School in Newman Street also attending art studies with the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
at Somerset House
Somerset House
Somerset House is a large building situated on the south side of the Strand in central London, England, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The central block of the Neoclassical building, the outstanding project of the architect Sir William Chambers, dates from 1776–96. It...
.
After a trip to Switzerland in the early 1850s, Whaite was taken in by the grandeur of the Alps, which influenced the subject matter of his artistic work for the rest of his life. On returning to Britain, he sought out the mountainous landscape of north Wales, choosing to settle in the Conwy Valley. While in Wales he sought to form a national Academy, and with other English and local Welsh artists formed the Cambrian Academy of Art in 1881. In 1876 he married a local woman, Jane Alice Griffiths, and they had one daughter, Lily Florence Whaite, who would also become a notable artist.
He died in 1912 and was buried at Llangelynnin
Llangelynnin
Llangelynnin is a former parish in the Conwy valley, in Conwy county borough, north Wales. Today the name exists only in connection with the church, a school in the nearby village of Henryd, and the nearby mountain ridge, Craig Celynnin.Llangelynnin Church is possibly one of the remotest...
New Church.
Work
Whaite displayed a vibrant style in his watercolours, and was noted at his ability to capture changing weather conditions in his landscapes, which often evoked a religious wonder. His religious beliefs were a strong influence on his work, and although his faith emerged in his work through an attached moral significance to the landscape, he would also paint ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
themes as in The Awakening of Christian (c. 1885) and Arthur in the Gruesome Glen. In 1859 he was one of the artists who founded the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts. The same year he exhibited at the London Academy in London, and it is said that John Ruskin
John Ruskin
John Ruskin was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, also an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects ranging from geology to architecture, myth to ornithology, literature to education, and botany to political...
criticised his work, in particular his overly minute execution. This criticism was accepted by Whaite, who adopted a bolder style to his work influenced by Turner
J. M. W. Turner
Joseph Mallord William Turner RA was an English Romantic landscape painter, watercolourist and printmaker. Turner was considered a controversial figure in his day, but is now regarded as the artist who elevated landscape painting to an eminence rivalling history painting...
.
In 1881 Whaite led a group of English and Welsh artists in forming the Cambrian Academy of Art, later the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art, the first art Academy
Academy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
in Wales. He later became the President of the Cambrian Academy and in 1892 became president of the Manchester Academy, a post he held until his death. A bronze
Bronze sculpture
Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply a "bronze".Common bronze alloys have the unusual and desirable property of expanding slightly just before they set, thus filling the finest details of a mold. Then, as the bronze cools, it...
of Whaite by Irish artist John Cassidy
John Cassidy (artist)
John Cassidy , Irish sculptor and painter, was born in Littlewood Commons, Slane, County Meath. He moved to Dublin at the age of 20 to find work. In Dublin he attended art classes at night and won a scholarship to study in Milan, Italy...
was commissioned and completed in 1898.
His oil paintings often used spots of pure colour, a consequence of his interest in colour theory, which may have pre-empted the pointillism
Pointillism
Pointillism is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of pure color are applied in patterns to form an image. Georges Seurat developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism. The term Pointillism was first coined by art critics in the late 1880s to ridicule the works...
strand of Impressionism that developed elsewhere in Europe.