ARTIST'S DEATH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23863, 14 January 1941, Page 81

ARTIST'S DEATH

SIR JOHN LAVERY

FAMOUS PORTRAIT PAINTER HUMBLE START IN LIFE By Telegraph—Press Association-—Copyright (Received January Hi, 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 12 The death has occurred of the famous artist Sir John Lavery, 11.A., aged 84 years.

Sir John Lavery was born at Belfast. His father was drowned in 1809 and iiis mother died three months later. Sir John went to live with his farmer uncle, but when he was 10 a distant cousin adopted hint and put him to school in Scotland. When he was lo he ran away from school to become a clerk, but keeping accounts was beyond him. He went back to Ireland, but later secured employment for three years with a Glasgow photographer for whom he retouched negatives and coloured photographs at £'2o a year, rising to £3O, at the same time studying at an art school before and after work. After

another year retouching negatives and converting photographs into painted miniatures at £l5O a year, he set up for himself as an artist, and at last got a patron, an Irish count, whose, portrait lie painted and who took him to London in 1W79.

Studies in France There he studied at Heatherlev's, painting "The Courtship of Julian Peveril" which was hung on the line at the Scottish Academy and sold in 1881 The same year lie went to Paris and worked at .Julian's, where his drawing was regarded as weak. In 1883 he settled in the artists' colony at Gres-sur-Loing. painting there off and on for several years. In the 'Mi's he joined a group of young Glasgow artists who. after exhibiting with success in London and on the Continent, fame to be known as "The Glasgow School.'' Their show in London in 1800 was a great triumph, and Munich made a feature oi their work at its exhibition. Their characteristics were the study of tone and design based on the silhouette. Sir John's most exacting task in his early days was his much criticised picture of the state visit of Queen Victoria to the Glasgow Exhibition, which contained 2-50 portraits and took him two years. Tired out. lie went to Morocco and was so delighted with the country that he visited it every winter. Charm and Vigour In 1896 he moved from Glasgow to London and helped "Whistler to found the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, oi which he became vice-president. Whistler, who was president, left him and the committee to do all the work, and his 10 years' service was a great strain on his health. The artist became famous as a por-trait-painter, especially of women, his work uniting charm with vigour and a strong sense of character. During the war lie visited the front and the Eleet, painting a number of important pictures, including a series of the Fleet at Scapa Flow, which he gave to the Imperial War Museum.

Paintings of Wife President of the Royal Society of Portrait-i'ainters, he was a member of a number of Continental academics. He presented pictures valued at between L'2-uOOO and .£.'10.000 to his native city, and 33' of his works to Dublin. Later lie was given the. freedom of the two cities. He designed the Irish Free State Treasury note, the "colleen" on it being a portrait of his wile. Knighted in 1918, he was elected a Royal Academician in 1921. In 1010 he had married as hi* second wife Mrs. Hazel Trmienu, of Chicago, a very beautiful woman. He painted her almost as often as Ronmey painted Lady Hamilton. ft was his custom to exhibit a new portrait of her at the Academy every year. She died in 1935. Many of his pictures were acquired for public collections in the chief art galleries of the world.