Biography of Henry Holiday 1839-1927

Henry Holiday 1839-1927 is in Painters.

On 17th June 1839 Henry Holiday was born to George Henry Holiday (age 39) and Climène Gerber (age 34) at 2 Hampstead Street, Fitzroy Square; the second of four children. He was educated at home by his father and his paternal aunt Kate Holiday.

In 1852 Henry Holiday (age 12) became a pupil of William Cave Thomas, a close friend of Ford Madox Brown (age 30)

In December 1854 Henry Holiday (age 15) entered the Royal Academy Schools as a probationer. His fellow students included Simeon Solomon (age 14), Albert Moore (age 13), William Blake Richmond (age 12), William De Morgan (age 15), Frederick Walker, and Marcus Stone (age 14).

1859. Henry Holiday (age 19). "The Burgesses of Calais".

In 1860 Henry Holiday (age 20) was admitted to the Life school at the Royal Academy and also attended anatomy classes at King's College of the University of London.

In 1861 Henry Holiday (age 21) and [his future wife] Catherine Raven (age 22) first met at Betws-y-Coed [Map] where she was staying with her sister Jane and her brother John. Holiday recalled in his Reminiscences:

Occasionally, when I seemed to be getting on, I looked forward to the time when I might be able to set up a home of my own, and hoped I might find some sympathetic being suitable as a companion for life who would accept me in that relation. I thought falling in love was very pretty in storybooks, but that in real life it must be a matter of careful choice, with the chance of that choice being reciprocated. But all this was thrown to the winds during the half-hour I spent before Mr. Collingwood's sketches. Life had assumed a new aspect for me, and though I do not think I was lacking in devotion to the profession I had chosen for myself, I had certainly found a new and powerful incentive to work and to work well…A few days after that, our first meeting, I spent the evening with them and made the welcome discovery that Miss Kate Raven was devoted to music and was an excellent pianist.

Around 1862. Henry Holiday (age 22). Portrait of the artist's future wife [his future wife] Catherine Raven (age 23).

Catherine Raven: In 1839 she was born to Reverend Thomas Raven. On 13th October 1864 Henry Holiday and she were married at Betws-y-Coed [Map]. In 1924 she died.

On 13th October 1864 Henry Holiday (age 25) and Catherine Raven (age 25) were married at Betws-y-Coed [Map].

On 18th September 1865 [his daughter] Winifred Holiday was born to Henry Holiday (age 26) and [his wife] Catherine Raven (age 26).

1883. Henry Holiday (age 43). "Dante and Beatrice".

Around 1887. Henry Holiday (age 47). "Diana, Dea della Caccia".

1888. Henry Holiday (age 48). "Aspasia on the Pnyx".

All About History Books

The Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough, a canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: "In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed." Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

Around 1890. Henry Holiday (age 50). Portrait of the violinist and suffragette Winifred Raven Holiday (1866-1949), the artist's daughter.

In 1924 [his wife] Catherine Raven (age 85) died.

Before 1927. Henry Holiday (age 87). "View of Coniston".

Before 1927. Henry Holiday (age 87). Study for the Figure of Virtue. This study is thought to be for the stained glass window Henry Holiday designed for St. Salvator's Chapel in St. Andrews.

Before 1927. Henry Holiday (age 87). "Dante Alighieri".

Before 1927. Henry Holiday (age 87). The Duet; Portraits of Alexandra, daughter of Rev. G. Kitchin and Winifrid, daughter of the painter.

Before 1927. Henry Holiday (age 87). "Sara, belle d'indolence".

All About History Books

The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

Before 1927. Henry Holiday (age 87). "Jacob's ladder".

Before 1927. Henry Holiday (age 87). "Street of tombs, Pompeii".

Before 1927. Henry Holiday (age 87). Portrait of suffragette and campaigner for women's rights Helena Normanton.

Before 1927. Henry Holiday (age 87). "[his daughter] Winifred (age 61)".

Winifred Holiday: On 18th September 1865 she was born to Henry Holiday and Catherine Raven.

On 15th April 1927 Henry Holiday (age 87) died.

                    The Times. The Death of Sir Frank Dicksee. Miss [his daughter] Winifred Holliday writes:
                
                    It must be rare for a man whose career is described as "a run of unbroken success" to remain to the end so beautifully unspoiled as was the late Sir Frank Dicksee, but in the memory of his friends his unaffected simplicity and unvarying kindliness were the finest part of that success. Perhaps, as there have been some allusions to his early work with my father, whose junior he was by some 15 years, I may be allowed to mention a recent and touching expression of his goodness. On my father's death last year, I had the difficult task of dealing with the immense variety of objects that an artist accumulates in the course of a long career, and amongst these was his life-size statue Sleep. Though not professionally a sculptor, my father considered her one of his best pieces of work of any kind whatsoever, yet when the house and studio were empty of all else Sleep still remained. What was I to do with her? In my difficulty I sought Sir Frank, and the difficulty vanished; in a few days she was transferred to one of his own studios. Nor was this all. My father, following what he considered to be the example of the great Greeks, had tinted the statue. This tinting, purely conventional in character, Sir Frank greatly admired; but the statue was in need of a thorough cleaning, which was done under his directions. The sequel is best given in his own words. Writing to me early this year he said:
                
                    "When you last saw Sleep you must have been disappointed; she was not looking her best. The man who cleaned her did his work well, but in the doing removed the colour from some parts of her figure, which troubled him, but I told him I would restore it. Two days ago I was able to go all over it, and she looks really beautiful. I should like you to see her now."
                
                    I went, and I shall never forget his smiling expression of pride and delight as he removed her coverings and turned to look at me. In the midst of all his incessant work, artistic and official, he had indeed found time to restore her from head to foot, and as I looked at her I felt that faithful though the colouring was to the original, he had in some charming way added a living and loving touch to the work of his old friend.

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