John Callcott Horsley was an English painter of the 19th century, who distinguished himself mainly by his historical scenes and his depiction of the local environment and the way of life of the people. Although he made a career in the Royal Academie, he caused two very different scandals.
On the one hand, in 1843, at the suggestion of the civil servant Sir Henry Cole, who distinguished himself in many ways as an innovator, he created the first Christmas greeting card known to us. In the centre of the card is a cheerfully celebrating dinner party, probably a family: an older couple, two younger couples and several children. Almost all of them are holding a glass in their hands, and in the foreground, just behind the garland-like ornamental cloth with the inscription "A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU" a little girl takes a strong sip from a glass of red wine. The side scenes from the lives of poorer sections of the population fade away. But the abstinent "Teetotalers" of the puritanical Temperence Society sparked a huge protest against what they saw as the animation for drinking at Christmas of all times.
On the other hand, John Callcott Horsley was by no means a revolutionary, but was himself a stern gentleman. Influenced by the Parisian salon of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, nudes became fashionable again in the United Kingdom in the last decades of the 19th century. With all his authority as rector and treasurer of the Royal Academie, Horsley tried to stop painting after nude models. He protested sharply against this innovation. The female nude of his painter colleague Albert Joseph Moore, which, as is his custom, is titled after the floral decoration of a white hydrangea, was damaged by a scratch during an exhibition. Horsley was suspected to have done this. He was also accused of being responsible for the disappearance of nude studies by academy students. It is probably certain that he published a letter to the editor in the Times under the pseudonym "British Matron", which he entitled "A Women's Plea". It was again an indictment of the decline of morals through nude painting. All this prompted the satirical magazine "Punch" to give the painter of decent subjects the nickname "Mr. J.C(lothes) Horsley", which is a pun and means "horse of clothes".
But John Callcott Horsley, who had family connections to many British celebrities of the time, was a recognized artist whose paintings are often of old-masterly quality and are reminiscent of the marriage of Dutch painting. By winning a competition, he took part in the decorative decoration of the Palace of Westminster along with five other painters. There, in the Lords Chamber, he painted six allegorical frescoes symbolising religion, chivalry and law. Horsley took over the representation of religion. The twice married artist died in 1903 at the age of 86 years in London. Several of his many children became important in their respective professions.
John Callcott Horsley was an English painter of the 19th century, who distinguished himself mainly by his historical scenes and his depiction of the local environment and the way of life of the people. Although he made a career in the Royal Academie, he caused two very different scandals.
On the one hand, in 1843, at the suggestion of the civil servant Sir Henry Cole, who distinguished himself in many ways as an innovator, he created the first Christmas greeting card known to us. In the centre of the card is a cheerfully celebrating dinner party, probably a family: an older couple, two younger couples and several children. Almost all of them are holding a glass in their hands, and in the foreground, just behind the garland-like ornamental cloth with the inscription "A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU" a little girl takes a strong sip from a glass of red wine. The side scenes from the lives of poorer sections of the population fade away. But the abstinent "Teetotalers" of the puritanical Temperence Society sparked a huge protest against what they saw as the animation for drinking at Christmas of all times.
On the other hand, John Callcott Horsley was by no means a revolutionary, but was himself a stern gentleman. Influenced by the Parisian salon of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, nudes became fashionable again in the United Kingdom in the last decades of the 19th century. With all his authority as rector and treasurer of the Royal Academie, Horsley tried to stop painting after nude models. He protested sharply against this innovation. The female nude of his painter colleague Albert Joseph Moore, which, as is his custom, is titled after the floral decoration of a white hydrangea, was damaged by a scratch during an exhibition. Horsley was suspected to have done this. He was also accused of being responsible for the disappearance of nude studies by academy students. It is probably certain that he published a letter to the editor in the Times under the pseudonym "British Matron", which he entitled "A Women's Plea". It was again an indictment of the decline of morals through nude painting. All this prompted the satirical magazine "Punch" to give the painter of decent subjects the nickname "Mr. J.C(lothes) Horsley", which is a pun and means "horse of clothes".
But John Callcott Horsley, who had family connections to many British celebrities of the time, was a recognized artist whose paintings are often of old-masterly quality and are reminiscent of the marriage of Dutch painting. By winning a competition, he took part in the decorative decoration of the Palace of Westminster along with five other painters. There, in the Lords Chamber, he painted six allegorical frescoes symbolising religion, chivalry and law. Horsley took over the representation of religion. The twice married artist died in 1903 at the age of 86 years in London. Several of his many children became important in their respective professions.
Page 1 / 1