William Blake Richmond
Encyclopedia
Sir William Blake Richmond KCB
(29 November 1842 – February 11, 1921), English
painter and decorator, was born in London
. His father, George Richmond
, R.A. (1809–1896), himself the son of Thomas Richmond (miniature-painter)
, was a distinguished artist, who painted the portraits of the most eminent people of his day and played an important part in society.
At the age of fourteen, William Richmond entered the Royal Academy
schools, where he studied for about three years. A visit to Italy in 1859 gave him special opportunity for studying the works of the old masters and had an important effect upon his development. His first Academy picture was a portrait group (1861); and to this succeeded, during the next three years, several other pictures of the same class.
In 1865, he returned to Italy, and spent four years there, living chiefly at Rome. To this period belongs the large canvas, A Procession in Honor of Bacchus, which he exhibited at the Academy in 1869 when he came back to England. His picture, An Audience at Athens, was exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1885.
Richmond became Slade professor at Oxford
, succeeding Ruskin
, in 1878, but resigned three years later. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy
in 1888 and Royal Academician in 1895; he received the degree of D.C.L. in 1896, and a Knighthood of the Bath
in 1897, and became professor of painting to the Royal Academy. Apart from his pictures, he is notable for his work in decorative art
, his most conspicuous achievement being the internal decoration and the glass mosaic
s of St. Paul's Cathedral. An interesting sequence of three large windows designed by Richmond, the earliest redesigned and remade when the second and third were added, can be seen in the Lady Chapel of Holy Trinity Sloane Street
.
Sir William Richmond also took a keen interest in social questions, particularly in smoke-prevention in London.
He was the father of Admiral Sir Herbert Richmond
, a prominent naval historian, and of Ernest Richmond
.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(29 November 1842 – February 11, 1921), English
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 and decorator, was born in London
London
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...
. His father, George Richmond
George Richmond
For the 21st century educator see George H. RichmondGeorge Richmond was an English painter.George Richmond was the father of the painter William Blake Richmond as well as the grandfather of the naval historian, Admiral Sir Herbert Richmond.A keen follower of cricket, Richmond was noted in one...
, R.A. (1809–1896), himself the son of Thomas Richmond (miniature-painter)
Thomas Richmond (miniature-painter)
-Life:He was son of Thomas Richmond, originally of Bawtry, and of an old Yorkshire family. His father was 'groom of the stables' to the Duke of Gloucester, and afterwards the proprietor of the Coach and Horses at Kew, where the artist was born in 1771...
, was a distinguished artist, who painted the portraits of the most eminent people of his day and played an important part in society.
At the age of fourteen, William Richmond entered 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...
schools, where he studied for about three years. A visit to Italy in 1859 gave him special opportunity for studying the works of the old masters and had an important effect upon his development. His first Academy picture was a portrait group (1861); and to this succeeded, during the next three years, several other pictures of the same class.
In 1865, he returned to Italy, and spent four years there, living chiefly at Rome. To this period belongs the large canvas, A Procession in Honor of Bacchus, which he exhibited at the Academy in 1869 when he came back to England. His picture, An Audience at Athens, was exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1885.
Richmond became Slade professor at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, succeeding Ruskin
Ruskin
- Surname :*John Ruskin , an English author, poet and artist, most famous for his work as art critic and social critic, and for his writing on the architecture of Venice....
, in 1878, but resigned three years later. He was elected an Associate of 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...
in 1888 and Royal Academician in 1895; he received the degree of D.C.L. in 1896, and a Knighthood of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1897, and became professor of painting to the Royal Academy. Apart from his pictures, he is notable for his work in decorative art
Decorative art
The decorative arts is traditionally a term for the design and manufacture of functional objects. It includes interior design, but not usually architecture. The decorative arts are often categorized in opposition to the "fine arts", namely, painting, drawing, photography, and large-scale...
, his most conspicuous achievement being the internal decoration and the glass mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
s of St. Paul's Cathedral. An interesting sequence of three large windows designed by Richmond, the earliest redesigned and remade when the second and third were added, can be seen in the Lady Chapel of Holy Trinity Sloane Street
Holy Trinity Sloane Street
Holy Trinity Sloane Street is a London Anglican parish church, built 1888-90 at the south-eastern side of Sloane Street to a striking Arts & Crafts design by the architect John Dando Sedding at the cost of the 5th Earl Cadogan, in whose London estate it lay...
.
Sir William Richmond also took a keen interest in social questions, particularly in smoke-prevention in London.
He was the father of Admiral Sir Herbert Richmond
Herbert Richmond
Admiral Sir Herbert William Richmond KCB was a prominent naval officer, who also served as Vere Harmsworth Professor of Imperial and Naval History at Cambridge University and Master of Downing College, Cambridge...
, a prominent naval historian, and of Ernest Richmond
Ernest Richmond
Ernest Tatham Richmond was Architect to Public Works, Egypt from 1900–1914, worked for the War Office from 1914–16, was Architect to the War Graves Service, France, 1917–18, Consulting Architect to Haram ash-Sharif...
.
See also
- Environmental Protection UKEnvironmental Protection UKEnvironmental Protection UK is a UK environmental Non-Governmental Organization working in the fields of air quality, noise and land quality...
- The modern form of the smoke prevention society founded by Sir William. - North British Academy of ArtsNorth British Academy of ArtsThe North British Academy of Arts was an art institution of Newcastle upon Tyne in northern England.-Overview:The Academy, sometimes known as the North British Academy of Arts, Science, Literature, and Music, was located in the Claremount Buildings on the western side of Barras Bridge on the...
- Inaugural address.