William Havell
Encyclopedia
William Havell was an English landscape painter, one of the Havell family
of artists, and a founding member of the Society of Painters in Watercolours.
in Berkshire
, one of fourteen children, the son of Luke Havell
, a drawing master, who also kept a small shop to eke out his narrow means. He attended Reading Grammar School - where his father taught art. Although his father was initially reluctant to encourage his son in his choice of career - knowing from personal experience the potential financial hardship involved - he was won over by William's obvious talent, and funded a sketching trip to Wales
, which proved to be an invaluable training ground.
In 1804 William sent his first contribution to the Royal Academy
- a view of Carnarvon Castle and another of the valley of Nant Ffrancon valley
in Wales. In the same year he became one of the founding members of the Society of Painters in Watercolours
. In 1807 he went to Ambleside
(in the Lake District
) where he stayed about two years, studying mountain scenery and producing many fine works. In 1813 he seceded from the Watercolour Society, but under a then existing rule continued to contribute to their exhibitions, as well as to the Royal Academy, where he exhibited in 1812 and 1814.
In 1816 Havell was engaged in painting a series of pictures called 'Picturesque Views and Characteristic Scenery of British Villas', when he was appointed to the post of draughtsman with Lord Amherst
's embassy to Chin
a. As a result of a serious quarrel on board ship with one of the officers, his position became untenable and he left the post, sailing to India
in 1817. There he stayed until 1825, finding lucrative employment in painting portraits and landscapes. On his return he rejoined the Watercolour Society, but found that his work was not as popular as it once had been, and after a while be ceased to contribute to their exhibitions and took to painting in oils
instead.
In 1827, Havell travelled to Italy
with Thomas Uwins
(1782–1857), visiting Florence
, Rome
, and Naples
. He became a frequent exhibitor at the Royal Academy, his subjects being chiefly Italian, but sometimes from Wales, Westmoreland, and China. He also exhibited at the British Institution
and Suffolk Street
. Although his works were of great merit and distinguished by pure and delicate colour, they failed to attract the public, and having lost his savings by the failure of an Indian bank, he became a pensioner on the Royal Academy's Turner Fund.
Havell died, after some years of declining health, at Kensington
, London, on 16 December 1857, and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery
.
Havell family
The Havell family of Reading, Berkshire, England included a number of notable engravers, etchers and painters, as well as writers, publishers, educators, and musicians. In particular, members of this family were foremost practitioners of aquatint; and had a long association with Indian art and...
of artists, and a founding member of the Society of Painters in Watercolours.
Life and work
Havell was born in ReadingReading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, one of fourteen children, the son of Luke Havell
Havell family
The Havell family of Reading, Berkshire, England included a number of notable engravers, etchers and painters, as well as writers, publishers, educators, and musicians. In particular, members of this family were foremost practitioners of aquatint; and had a long association with Indian art and...
, a drawing master, who also kept a small shop to eke out his narrow means. He attended Reading Grammar School - where his father taught art. Although his father was initially reluctant to encourage his son in his choice of career - knowing from personal experience the potential financial hardship involved - he was won over by William's obvious talent, and funded a sketching trip to 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...
, which proved to be an invaluable training ground.
In 1804 William sent his first contribution 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...
- a view of Carnarvon Castle and another of the valley of Nant Ffrancon valley
Nant Ffrancon Pass
The Nant Ffrancon Pass in Snowdonia, North Wales, is the long steady climb of the A5 road between Bethesda, Gwynedd, and Llyn Ogwen in Conwy. The summit at is at Pont Wern-gof, about one-third of a mile beyond the eastern end of Llyn Ogwen. From here the road descends through Nant y Benglog to...
in Wales. In the same year he became one of the founding members of the Society of Painters in Watercolours
Royal Watercolour Society
The Royal Watercolour Society is an English institution of painters working in watercolours...
. In 1807 he went to Ambleside
Ambleside
Ambleside is a town in Cumbria, in North West England.Historically within the county of Westmorland, it is situated at the head of Windermere, England's largest lake...
(in the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
) where he stayed about two years, studying mountain scenery and producing many fine works. In 1813 he seceded from the Watercolour Society, but under a then existing rule continued to contribute to their exhibitions, as well as to the Royal Academy, where he exhibited in 1812 and 1814.
In 1816 Havell was engaged in painting a series of pictures called 'Picturesque Views and Characteristic Scenery of British Villas', when he was appointed to the post of draughtsman with Lord Amherst
William Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst
William Pitt Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst, GCH, PC was a British diplomat and colonial administrator. He was Governor-General of India between 1823 and 1828.-Background and education:...
's embassy to Chin
Chin
In the human anatomy, the chin is the lowermost part of the face.It is formed by the lower front of the mandible.People show a wide variety of chin structures. See Cleft chin....
a. As a result of a serious quarrel on board ship with one of the officers, his position became untenable and he left the post, sailing to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1817. There he stayed until 1825, finding lucrative employment in painting portraits and landscapes. On his return he rejoined the Watercolour Society, but found that his work was not as popular as it once had been, and after a while be ceased to contribute to their exhibitions and took to painting in oils
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
instead.
In 1827, Havell travelled 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...
with Thomas Uwins
Thomas Uwins
Thomas Uwins was an English portrait, subject, genre and landscape painter , and a book illustrator...
(1782–1857), visiting Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
. He became a frequent exhibitor at the Royal Academy, his subjects being chiefly Italian, but sometimes from Wales, Westmoreland, and China. He also exhibited at 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...
and Suffolk Street
Royal Society of British Artists
The Royal Society of British Artists is a British art body established in 1823 as the Society of British Artists, as an alternative to the Royal Academy.-History:...
. Although his works were of great merit and distinguished by pure and delicate colour, they failed to attract the public, and having lost his savings by the failure of an Indian bank, he became a pensioner on the Royal Academy's Turner Fund.
Havell died, after some years of declining health, at Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London, on 16 December 1857, and was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in Kensal Green, in the west of London, England. It was immortalised in the lines of G. K. Chesterton's poem The Rolling English Road from his book The Flying Inn: "For there is good news yet to hear and fine things to be seen; Before we go to Paradise by way of...
.
Family
Three of Havell's brothers were also artists of note. George Havell (d. 1839?) was an animal painter, and attempted engraving and sculpture. Edmund Havell was an occasional exhibitor at the Royal Academy, and he succeeded his father as drawing-master at Reading - his son, Edmund Havell the younger (b. 1819), was a well-known artist. Frederick James Havell (1801–1840), the third brother, practised line engraving and mezzotint, and made experiments in photography.Appraisal
Havell was one of the best of the earlier painters in water-colour, and did much to advance this art, and his pictures in oil, though neglected during his lifetime, have risen greatly in estimation. Between 1804-57 he exhibited 103 landscapes at the Royal Academy, 42 at the British Institution and 32 at Suffolk Street. James described his works as "remarkable for good composition and often for the effect of sunshine". The Redgraves described his oil paintings as "having much excellence...well-composed and arranged...".Further reading
- Redgrave, Richard & Redgrave, Samuel. A century of painters of the English school, volume 1 (1866) pp. 518–23.
- James, Ralph N. Painters and Their Works, volume 1 (London: L. Upcott Gill, 1896) pp. 521–2.
- Redgrave, Gilbert Richard. A history of water-colour painting in England (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1905) pp. 101–2.
- Grant, Maurice Harold. A chronological history of the old English landscape painters (in oil), Volume 7.
- Owen, Felicity. William Havell, 1782–1857, paintings, watercolours, drawings and prints (Reading Museum & Art Gallery, 1981)
External links
- Havell online (ArtCyclopedia)
- Biography of Havell (Museum of ReadingMuseum of ReadingThe Museum of Reading is a museum of the history of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire, and the surrounding area...
) - Biography of Havell (answers.com)
- Works by Havell (Government Art CollectionGovernment Art CollectionThe United Kingdom's Government Art Collection places works of art in major Government buildings in the UK and around the world to promote British art, culture and history....
) - Works by Havell (Reading Foundation for Art)
- Works and portrait of Havell (Art Renewal Center)
- A waterfall in the East Indies (Watercolour - Christie'sChristie'sChristie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
) - Retirement (Watercolour, 1805 - Art Fund)
- Sunrise on the Grand Canal of China (Sphinx Fine Art)