Hubert von Herkomer

Sir Hubert von Herkomer (May 26 1849–March 31 1914), British painter, also a film-director and composer, was born at Waal, in Bavaria. Lorenz Herkomer, his father and a wood-carver of great ability, left Bavaria in 1851 with his wife and child for the United States, but returned to Europe after six years, and settled in Southampton in 1857.

He lived for some time at Southampton and in the school of art there began his art training; he visited Bavaria with his father in 1865 and briefly studied at the Munich academy, but in 1866 he entered upon a more serious course of study at the South Kensington Schools, and in 1869 exhibited for the first time at the Royal Academy. In 1869, he also began working as an artist for a newly-founded newspaper called "The Graphic". By his picture, "The Last Muster," at the Academy in 1875, he definitely established his position as an artist of high distinction. He was elected an associate of the Academy in 1879, and academician in 1890; an associate of the Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours in 1893, and a full member in 1894; and in 1885 he was appointed Slade professor at Oxford.He exhibited a very large number of memorable portraits, figure subjects and landscapes, in oil and watercolour; he achieved marked success as a worker in enamel, as an etcher, mezzotint engraver and illustrative draughtsman; and he exercised wide influence upon art education by means of the Herkomer School (Incorporated), at Bushey, which he founded in 1883 and directed without payment until 1904, when he retired. It was then voluntarily wound up, and is now defunct. Herkomer's massive house, "Lululaund", named after Lulu his second of three wives, served as his studio, school and even theatre, where he put on productions of his own plays and musical compositions.

Two of his pictures, "Found" (1885) and "The Chapel of the Charterhouse" (1889), are in the Tate Gallery. In 1907, he received the honorary degree of DCL at Oxford, and a knighthood was conferred upon him by the king in addition to the commandership of the Royal Victorian Order with which he was already decorated.

Herkomer was also a pioneering film maker. He established a studio in Lululaund and directed a number of historical costume dramas, designed to be shown accompanied by his own music.

Herkomer died at Budleigh Salterton on 31 March 1914 and was buried in St James's church, Bushey.

The largest collection of his work is held by Bushey Museum, UK and in Landsberg am Lech, Germany.

Gallery

References

* "Hubert von Herkomer, R.A., a Study and a Biography", by AL Baldry (London, 1901)
* "Professor Hubert Herkomer, Royal Academician, His Life and Work", by WL Courtney (London, 1892).

External links

* [http://www.busheymuseum.org Bushey Museum and their Herkomer collection]
* [http://www.mpritchard.com/herkomer.htm Herkomer biographical information]
* [http://www.phryne.com/artists/30-99-99.HTM Phryne's list of paintings by Herkomer in accessible collections in the UK]