James Clarke Hook
Encyclopedia
James Clarke Hook RA (November 21, 1819 - April 14, 1907) was an English
painter of marine, genre and historical scenes, and landscapes.
, the son of James Hook, from Northumberland
, and Judge Arbitrator of Sierra Leone
. His mother was the second daughter of Bible scholar Dr Adam Clarke
- hence the painter's second name. Young Hook's first taste of the sea was on board the Berwick
smacks
which took him on his way to Wooler
. He drew with rare facility, and determined to become an artist, practiced his work, on his own initiative, for more than a year in the sculpture galleries of the British Museum
.
In 1836, Hook was admitted as a student to the Royal Academy
, London, where he worked for three years, and also learnt more about painting technique from a nephew of John Opie
. His first picture, called "The Hard Task," was exhibited in 1837, and represented a girl helping her sister with a lesson. His talent for portraiture, and a desire to earn his own living, took him to Ireland
where he painted the Waterford family and others. Here, also, he produced landscapes of the Vale of Avoca
, and developed his taste for pastoral art. He later returned to England and painted in Kent
and Somerset
.
In 1842, Hook's second exhibited work was a portrait of Master J. Finch Smith. In the same year he won silver medals at the Royal Academy, and in 1843 was one of the competitors in an exhibition of cartoons (preliminary drawings) in Westminster Hall
, with a design called "Satan in Paradise". In 1844 the Academy showed his "Pamphilius relating his Story" (inspired by the Decameron), which consisted of a meadow scene in bright light, with sumptuous women, richly clad, reclining on the grass.
In 1844 and 1845 the British Institution
exhibited two of Hook's idylls - subjects taken from Shakespeare and Burns
, which, with the above, showed him able to handle themes of romantic sentiment and the picturesque which were then in vogue, but in an original and vigorous manner. "The Song of Olden Times" (Royal Academy, 1845) marked the artist's future path distinctly in most technical respects. It was in this year Hook won the Academy gold medal for "The Finding of the Body of Harold."
A travelling studentship in painting was awarded to Hook for "Rizpah watching the Dead Sons of Saul" in 1846, and he went to Italy
for three years, having married fellow artist, Rosalie Burton, before leaving England. Hook passed through Paris
, worked diligently for some time in the Louvre
, traversed Switzerland
, and, though be stayed only part of three years in Italy, gained much from studies of Titian
, Tintoretto
, Carpaccio, Mansueti and other Venetians.
The influence of these old masters dominated the future coloration of Hooke's pictures, and he applied the artistic lessons learned from his travels to the painting of romantic subjects and those English themes of land and sea which became his trademarks. "A Dream of Ancient Venice" (RA, 1848), "Bayard of Brescia" (R.A., 1849), "Venice" (BI, 1849) and other works, won him an Associateship of the Royal Academy in 1851.
Soon afterwards Hook undertook a series of country scenes and idylls of the sea and rocks. "A Rest by the Wayside" and "A Few Minutes to Wait before Twelve o'clock" (1854) proved him to be a new and original painter. After these came "A Signal on the Horizon" (1857), "A Widow's Son going to Sea," "The Ship-boy's Letter," "Children's Children are the Crown of Old Men," "A Coast-boy gathering Eggs," a scene at Lundy
; "Luff, Boy!" (1859), "The Book, Stand Clear! O Well for the Fishermans Boy!" (1860), "Leaving Cornwall for the Whitby Fishing," "Sea Urchins," and many more. The artist was elected a full Academician (RA) on March 6, 1860.
Hook continued to exhibit every year until 1902. His work took him to picturesque coastal villages, usually off the tourist trail, where he painted "en plein air" in Scotland, Devon and Cornwall
. He would later return to his country house in Surrey
(his final residence was an estate near Churt
), in order to put the final touches to each picture.
Hook died in April 1907. Two of his sons were also artists: Allan James Hook (1853-1946), a marine painter, and Bryan Hook (1856-1925), an animal and bird painter.
, Royal Academy of Arts and Guildhall Art Gallery
in London, and in Galleries in Manchester, Liverpool, Aberdeen etc. A chronology of his exhibited works can be found at the James Clarke Hook website.
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...
painter of marine, genre and historical scenes, and landscapes.
Life
Hook was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the son of James Hook, from Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, and Judge Arbitrator of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. His mother was the second daughter of Bible scholar Dr Adam Clarke
Adam Clarke
Adam Clarke was a British Methodist theologian and Biblical scholar, born in the townland of Moybeg Kirley near Tobermore in Ireland...
- hence the painter's second name. Young Hook's first taste of the sea was on board the Berwick
Berwick
Berwick-upon-Tweed is a border town in the north of England.Berwick may also refer to:- England :*Berwick Street Market, London*Berwick, Sussex**Berwick railway station*Berwick St John, Wiltshire...
smacks
Smack (ship)
A smack was a traditional fishing boat used off the coast of England and the Atlantic coast of America for most of the 19th century, and even in small numbers up to the Second World War. It was originally a cutter rigged sailing boat until about 1865, when the smacks became so large that cutter...
which took him on his way to Wooler
Wooler
Wooler is a small town in Northumberland, England. It lies on the edge of the Northumberland National Park, by the Cheviot Hills and so is a popular base for walkers and is referred to as the "Gateway to the Cheviots"...
. He drew with rare facility, and determined to become an artist, practiced his work, on his own initiative, for more than a year in the sculpture galleries of the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
.
In 1836, Hook was admitted as a student to 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...
, London, where he worked for three years, and also learnt more about painting technique from a nephew of John Opie
John Opie
John Opie was an English historical and portrait painter. He painted many great men and women of his day, most notably in the artistic and literary professions.-Life and work:...
. His first picture, called "The Hard Task," was exhibited in 1837, and represented a girl helping her sister with a lesson. His talent for portraiture, and a desire to earn his own living, took him to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
where he painted the Waterford family and others. Here, also, he produced landscapes of the Vale of Avoca
River Avoca
The Avoca is a river in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is contained completely within the county.The Avoca starts life as two rivers, the Avonmore and the Avonbeg...
, and developed his taste for pastoral art. He later returned to England and painted in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
.
In 1842, Hook's second exhibited work was a portrait of Master J. Finch Smith. In the same year he won silver medals at the Royal Academy, and in 1843 was one of the competitors in an exhibition of cartoons (preliminary drawings) in Westminster Hall
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
, with a design called "Satan in Paradise". In 1844 the Academy showed his "Pamphilius relating his Story" (inspired by the Decameron), which consisted of a meadow scene in bright light, with sumptuous women, richly clad, reclining on the grass.
In 1844 and 1845 the British Institution
British Institution
The British Institution was a private 19th-century society in London formed to exhibit the works of living and dead artists; it was also known as the Pall Mall Picture Galleries or the British Gallery...
exhibited two of Hook's idylls - subjects taken from Shakespeare and Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
, which, with the above, showed him able to handle themes of romantic sentiment and the picturesque which were then in vogue, but in an original and vigorous manner. "The Song of Olden Times" (Royal Academy, 1845) marked the artist's future path distinctly in most technical respects. It was in this year Hook won the Academy gold medal for "The Finding of the Body of Harold."
A travelling studentship in painting was awarded to Hook for "Rizpah watching the Dead Sons of Saul" in 1846, and he went to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
for three years, having married fellow artist, Rosalie Burton, before leaving England. Hook passed through Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, worked diligently for some time in the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
, traversed Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and, though be stayed only part of three years in Italy, gained much from studies of Titian
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
, Tintoretto
Tintoretto
Tintoretto , real name Jacopo Comin, was a Venetian painter and a notable exponent of the Renaissance school. For his phenomenal energy in painting he was termed Il Furioso...
, Carpaccio, Mansueti and other Venetians.
The influence of these old masters dominated the future coloration of Hooke's pictures, and he applied the artistic lessons learned from his travels to the painting of romantic subjects and those English themes of land and sea which became his trademarks. "A Dream of Ancient Venice" (RA, 1848), "Bayard of Brescia" (R.A., 1849), "Venice" (BI, 1849) and other works, won him an Associateship of the Royal Academy in 1851.
Soon afterwards Hook undertook a series of country scenes and idylls of the sea and rocks. "A Rest by the Wayside" and "A Few Minutes to Wait before Twelve o'clock" (1854) proved him to be a new and original painter. After these came "A Signal on the Horizon" (1857), "A Widow's Son going to Sea," "The Ship-boy's Letter," "Children's Children are the Crown of Old Men," "A Coast-boy gathering Eggs," a scene at Lundy
Lundy
Lundy is the largest island in the Bristol Channel, lying off the coast of Devon, England, approximately one third of the distance across the channel between England and Wales. It measures about at its widest. Lundy gives its name to a British sea area and is one of the islands of England.As of...
; "Luff, Boy!" (1859), "The Book, Stand Clear! O Well for the Fishermans Boy!" (1860), "Leaving Cornwall for the Whitby Fishing," "Sea Urchins," and many more. The artist was elected a full Academician (RA) on March 6, 1860.
Hook continued to exhibit every year until 1902. His work took him to picturesque coastal villages, usually off the tourist trail, where he painted "en plein air" in Scotland, Devon and Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. He would later return to his country house in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
(his final residence was an estate near Churt
Churt
Churt is a village and civil parish in the borough of Waverley in Surrey, England. It is located on the A287 road between Hindhead and Farnham, and is split by the Surrey–Hampshire borders. Its origins date back to the Saxon period. The original boundary stones are visible at the junction of Green...
), in order to put the final touches to each picture.
Hook died in April 1907. Two of his sons were also artists: Allan James Hook (1853-1946), a marine painter, and Bryan Hook (1856-1925), an animal and bird painter.
Works
Artwork by Hook is held at the Tate GalleryTate Gallery
The Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
, Royal Academy of Arts and Guildhall Art Gallery
Guildhall Art Gallery
The Guildhall Art Gallery houses the art collection of the City of London, England. It occupies a building that was completed in 1999 to replace an earlier building destroyed in The Blitz in 1941...
in London, and in Galleries in Manchester, Liverpool, Aberdeen etc. A chronology of his exhibited works can be found at the James Clarke Hook website.
Further reading
- Hook, Allan J. Life of James Clarke Hook - 3 volumes (Butler and Tanner, Ltd., Frome and London, 1929-32).
- McMaster, Juliet. Woman Behind the Painter, The Diaries of Rosalie, Mrs. James Clarke Hook
External links
- James Clarke Hook (Dr. Juliet McMaster's website - University of AlbertaUniversity of AlbertaThe University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
) - J. C. Hook online (ArtCyclopedia)
- Paintings by Hook (Tate GalleryTate GalleryThe Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
, London) - Art by Hook (Royal Academy of Arts, London)
- A Dutch peddlar (1890 painting)
- Practicing without diploma) (1894 painting)
- The Gull Cathcer (1877 painting)
- Olivia and Viola (painting)