Mary Balfour Herbert
Encyclopedia
Mary Balfour Herbert was a British artist. She was born Mary Balfour in 1817, the daughter of James Balfour and Lady Eleanor Maitland. She grew up in Whittinghame, East Lothian
, Scotland
, and travelled widely during her childhood. She took drawing lessons but had no other formal art education.
She met Henry Arthur Herbert
while abroad in Rome and married him in September, 1837. His family owned the Muckross
Estate near Killarney
in County Kerry
, Ireland
, and they moved there to Torc Cottage after their wedding. She loved the Muckross estate as it had always reminded her of her childhood home in Scotland. She brought a large dowry to the marriage, and the couple were then able to start construction of a large house in 1839, which was finished in 1843, shortly before the Great Famine.
The couple had four children, all born abroad between 1839 and 1846. They were Eleanor, Henry Arthur, Charles, and Blanche. Mary put much effort into raising funds for the famine-stricken inhabitants of the estate, but she lived away from the estate, in England.
She also worked at developing her talents as a watercolour artist, and she displayed considerable skill with practice. She painted many scenes from the Lakes of Killarney
and was recognised as the "...most gifted amateur in the kingdom."(The Times, Friday, August 30th, 1861.) Queen Victoria
visited the estate with the Royal family in 1861 and received several of Mary's paintings as a parting gift.
Henry died in 1866 and was interred in the family vault at Killegy graveyard near Muckross House
, and Mary then moved back to England with her two daughters. She was able to rekindle many of her old friendships with people notable in art at the time, including Edward Burne-Jones
who was a close friend of the well-known artist William Morris
.
After her oldest daughter Eleanor's marriage in 1871, Mary moved to Bellagio
, Italy
, near Lake Como
and continued her artwork there. She died in London in 1893 and was buried with her husband in Killegy graveyard. The house has subsequently become a museum
, and the estate, the much-loved Killarney National Park
.
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and travelled widely during her childhood. She took drawing lessons but had no other formal art education.
She met Henry Arthur Herbert
Henry Arthur Herbert (1815-1866)
Colonel Henry Arthur Herbert PC , was an Irish politician in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.Herbert was the grandson of Henry Arthur Herbert, MP for Kerry from 1806 to 1813...
while abroad in Rome and married him in September, 1837. His family owned the Muckross
Muckross House
Muckross House is located on the small Muckross Peninsula between Muckross Lake and Lough Leane, two of the lakes of Killarney, from the town of Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland....
Estate near Killarney
Killarney
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...
in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, 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...
, and they moved there to Torc Cottage after their wedding. She loved the Muckross estate as it had always reminded her of her childhood home in Scotland. She brought a large dowry to the marriage, and the couple were then able to start construction of a large house in 1839, which was finished in 1843, shortly before the Great Famine.
The couple had four children, all born abroad between 1839 and 1846. They were Eleanor, Henry Arthur, Charles, and Blanche. Mary put much effort into raising funds for the famine-stricken inhabitants of the estate, but she lived away from the estate, in England.
She also worked at developing her talents as a watercolour artist, and she displayed considerable skill with practice. She painted many scenes from the Lakes of Killarney
Lakes of Killarney
The Lakes of Killarney are a renowned scenic attraction located near Killarney, County Kerry, in Ireland. They consist of three lakes - Lough Leane, Muckross Lake and Upper Lake.Lough Leane is the largest of the three lakes...
and was recognised as the "...most gifted amateur in the kingdom."(The Times, Friday, August 30th, 1861.) Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
visited the estate with the Royal family in 1861 and received several of Mary's paintings as a parting gift.
Henry died in 1866 and was interred in the family vault at Killegy graveyard near Muckross House
Muckross House
Muckross House is located on the small Muckross Peninsula between Muckross Lake and Lough Leane, two of the lakes of Killarney, from the town of Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland....
, and Mary then moved back to England with her two daughters. She was able to rekindle many of her old friendships with people notable in art at the time, including Edward Burne-Jones
Edward Burne-Jones
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet was a British artist and designer closely associated with the later phase of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, who worked closely with William Morris on a wide range of decorative arts as a founding partner in Morris, Marshall, Faulkner, and Company...
who was a close friend of the well-known artist William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
.
After her oldest daughter Eleanor's marriage in 1871, Mary moved to Bellagio
Bellagio
Bellagio is a comune in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located on Lake Como. It has long been famous for its setting at the intersection of the three branches of the Y-shaped lake, which is also known as Lario....
, 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...
, near Lake Como
Lake Como
Lake Como is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of 146 km², making it the third largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore...
and continued her artwork there. She died in London in 1893 and was buried with her husband in Killegy graveyard. The house has subsequently become a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, and the estate, the much-loved Killarney National Park
Killarney National Park
Killarney National Park is located beside the town of Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland. It was the first national park established in Ireland, created when Muckross Estate was donated to the Irish state in 1932...
.