George W. Joy

George William Joy (July 7, 1844 in Dublin, Ireland – October 28, 1925 in Purbrook) was an Irish painter.

Life and career

Joy was the son of William Bruce Joy, MD, and the brother of sculptor Albert Bruce Joy, descendents of an old Huguenot family which settled in Antrim in 1612. He was initially torn between the idea of pursuing a career as an artist or violin player. Joy settled upon art, and was educated in London's South Kensington School of Art and later at the Royal Academy under John Everett Millais, Frederic Leighton, Hubert von Herkomer and George Frederic Watts. In 1868 he traveled to Paris where he was a student of Charles-François Jalabert and Léon Bonnat. [ [http://www.artmagick.com/pictures/artist.aspx?artist=george-w-joy] ArtMagick 1996-2006. Retrieved December 1, 2006.] He became a member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 1896 and also exhibited at the Royal Academy and the Royal Hibernian Academy. Tragically, both of his sons were killed in 1915 during World War I. [Snoddy, Theo. Dictionary of Irish Artists: 20th Century, 2nd Edition. Merlin Publishing, Dublin, Ireland, 2002. Pg.290-92. Retrieved Mar. 26, 2008.]

Works

Joy's paintings covered a variety of themes, but generally included human forms. He was perhaps best known for his depiction of the final moments of British General Charles George Gordon in a painting entitled "General Gordon's Last Stand" (1885). In the painting, Gordon is pictured standing before followers of the invading Mahdi army in Khartoum, Sudan, moments before being struck down by a spear. Among Joy's other works are "Truth", "Flora MacDonald's Farewell to Prince Charles", and "The Bayswayer Omnibus".

External links

* [http://www.artmagick.com/pictures/artist.aspx?artist=george-w-joy George W. Joy Bio at ArtMagick]
* [http://www.artmagick.com/archive/artists/joy/pic/10312.aspx George W. Joy Paintings at ArtMagick]
* [http://www.britishempire.co.uk/art/joygordon.htm "General Gordon's Last Stand"]

References