Arthur Elsley

Arthur John Elsley 20 November 1860 London, England - 19 February 1952, was an English painter of the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, famous for his scenes of playful children and their pets. He achieved great popularity during his life and much of his work appeared in calendars, magazines and books. He was one of six children of John Elsley, coachman and amateur artist, and Emily Freer.

Elsley's father had exhibited at the British Institution Exhibition in 1845 but later in life contracted tuberculosis which forced him into early retirement. (The British Institution in Pall Mall was founded on June 4th, 1805 for promoting the Fine Arts in the United Kingdom.)

When only eleven years old, Arthur was turning out proficient animal studies made during frequent visits to the London Zoo in Regents Park. At age fourteen , he enrolled in the South Kensington School of Art which later became the Royal College of Art. At about this time his eyesight became permanently damaged by a bout of measles.

Elsley took up the post of probationer at the Royal Academy Schools in 1876. Here he was influenced by Frederick Pickersgill (Keeper of the Royal Academy), Edward Armitage (Professor of Painting), John Marshal (Professor of Anatomy), and Henry Bowler (Professor of Perspective).

A large number of his paintings were inspired by sketches made on frequent cycling trips around the countryside. He remained with the Academy Schools until 1882 and then began accepting commissions to do portraits of children and dogs, with an emphasis on horses. Many of his portrait commissions came from the Benett-Stanford family of politicians living at Preston Manor - some works still being exhibited there. His first known published work was a line engraving entitled "April Floods In Eastern Counties" printed in "Young England" in 1885.

Elsley was friendly with the English painters Solomon Joseph Solomon and George Grenville Manton, sharing a studio with the latter in 1876. Through Manton Elsley met Frederick Morgan, a popular painter of children. In 1889 Elsley moved into Morgan’s studio, an arrangement that led to a good working relationship - Morgan having difficulties with painting animals, an area in which Elsley excelled.

Elsley was awarded a silver medal in the Crystal Palace exhibition of 1891 for his painting "The Bailiff’s Daughter of Islington". In 1892 his painting "I’se Biggest" was published, and later had to be re-engraved to satisfy public demand. The painting was of a young girl comparing her height with that of a large St. Bernard dog. The Illustrated London News printed one of Elsley’s paintings, "Grandfather’s Pet" as their Christmas choice for 1893.

Elsley had by now attained such popularity and affluence that he was able to marry his second cousin Emily "Emm" Fusedale, who had modeled for him for ten years, on 11 November, 1893. They had one child, Marjorie, born in 1903, and who posed for many of his subsequent paintings. Elsley started up his own studio after his marriage, but continued his painting relationship with Morgan. When the well-known artist Charles Burton Barber (1845-1894) died, Elsley became his natural successor as the foremost painter of children and their pets.Relations between Elsley and Morgan were permanently soured when Morgan accused Elsley of using his ideas. After this Elsley became bolder in his compositions, often depicting scenes with multiple figures, all from individual sitters visiting his studio. Hardly ever leaving his studio, the outdoors components of his paintings were from sketches he had made earlier and magazine images. It was thought that these indoor painting methods aggravated his already faulty vision.

The First World War severely reduced Elsley's output of paintings - he produced only 4 paintings from 1915 to 1917, one of which, a portrait of his daughter Marjorie, was exhibited at the Royal Academy. He contributed to the war effort by working on bombsights in a munitions factory, straining his already poor eyesight. By the early 1930s he was able only to carry out woodworking and gardening.

At the height of his career from 1878 to 1927, he exhibited 52 works at the Royal Academy. However, many more were shown at exhibition halls throughout the country - The Royal Society of British Artists, London; The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool; Royal Institute of Oil Painters, London; French Gallery, London; Dudley Gallery, London; The Institute of Fine Art, Glasgow; Manchester City Art Gallery; The Royal Society of Artists, Birmingham; Nottingham, Castle Museum; Victoria Gallery, Bath; The Crystal Palace, London; Cork International Exhibition.

His prints were used commercially by many firms - calendars by the American firm Thomas D. Murphy Co. Sunlight Soap; Brook's Sewing Cottons, and Peek Frean & Co., Biscuits & Cakes; Bibby’s Quarterly.

Currently Elsley's work can be seen at Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, East Cliff, Bournemouth; collections of Hartlepool Museums and Heritage Service; Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight, Liverpool; Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital, Alderhey, Eaton Road, Liverpool; Royal Pavilion Art Gallery and Museum, Brighton; Preston Manor, 194 Preston Road, Brighton.

Arthur John Elsley died at home on 19 February 1952.

References

* [http://www.rehsgalleries.com/arthur_john_elsley_virtex.htm Arthur John Elsley]