Francis Montague Holl (
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
4 July 1845 – 31 July 1888
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
) was an English painter, specializing in somewhat sentimental paintings with a moment from a narrative situation, often drawing on the trends of
social realism
Social realism is the term used for work produced by painters, printmakers, photographers, writers and filmmakers that aims to draw attention to the real socio-political conditions of the working class as a means to critique the power structure ...
and the
problem picture in
Victorian painting
Victorian painting refers to the distinctive styles of painting in the United Kingdom during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901). Victoria's early reign was characterised by rapid industrial development and social and political change, which ...
. He was also, especially in his later years when the demand for social realism slackened, a portrait painter, mostly of official-type portraits of distinguished and therefore elderly men, including members of the
royal family
A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term ...
.
He died in his early 40s, which some contemporaries attributed to overwork, as he had been very busy in the last twenty years of his life. His reputation fell considerably after his death, and the exhibition at the
Watts Gallery
Watts Gallery – Artists' Village is an art gallery in the village of Compton, near Guildford in Surrey. It is dedicated to the work of the Victorian-era painter and sculptor George Frederic Watts.
The gallery has been Grade II* listed on th ...
in 2013 and its catalogue were the first such attention he had received for a century.
Life
Holl was born in London to the family of noted engravers, being the son of
Francis Holl , as well as a nephew of
William Holl the Younger and a grandson of
William Holl the Elder
William Holl the Elder (1771 – 1 December 1838) was a British engraver, thought to be of German background, and a political radical.
Life
Holl was a pupil of Benjamin Smith (engraver), Benjamin Smith the engraver, and worked in the stipple ...
, whose profession he originally intended to follow. He was educated mainly at
University College School
("Slowly but surely")
, established =
, closed =
, type = Public schoolIndependent day school
, religion =
, president =
, head_label = Headmaster
, head = Mark Beard
, r_head_label =
, r_hea ...
. Entering the
Royal Academy Schools
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purpo ...
as a probationer in painting in 1860, he rapidly progressed, winning silver and gold medals, and making his debut as an exhibitor in 1864 with ''A Portrait,'' and ''Turned out of Church,'' a subject picture. ''A Fern Gatherer'' (1865); ''The Ordeal'' (1866); ''Convalescent'' (the somewhat grim pathos of which attracted much attention), and ''Faces in the Fire'' (1867), succeeded. Holl gained the travelling
studentship in 1868; the successful work was characteristic of the young painter's mood, being ''The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away.''
In 1869 he was recruited as an artist by the wood-engraver and social reformer
William Luson Thomas
William Luson Thomas (London 4 December 1830–1900) was a British wood-engraver and the founder of various British newspapers.
Biography
Thomas worked as a wood-engraver in Paris and was also an assistant to the British wood-engraver William J ...
, to work on Thomas's newly founded newspaper, ''
The Graphic
''The Graphic'' was a British weekly illustrated newspaper, first published on 4 December 1869 by William Luson Thomas's company Illustrated Newspapers Ltd. Thomas's brother Lewis Samuel Thomas was a co-founder. The premature death of the latt ...
''. Admirers of Holl included
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2 ...
, who in letters to his brother Theo and friend
Anthon van Rappard
Anthon Gerard Alexander van Rappard (14 May 1858, Zeist – 21 March 1892, Santpoort) was a Dutch painter and draughtsman. He was a pupil of Lawrence Alma-Tadema. He was also a friend and mentor of Vincent van Gogh for about four years, who is sai ...
expressed his admiration for Holl. Whilst living in London
van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inclu ...
fastidiously cut out and collected Holl’s prints published in The Graphic.
In 1886, he produced a portrait of Millais as his diploma work, but his health rapidly declined and he died at
Hampstead
Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...
, north London, on 31 July 1888. He is buried in a vault on the western side of
Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in north London, England. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East Cemeteries. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for some of the people buried there as ...
and was joined by his wife Annie Laura on 10 June 1931, who died aged 86 at their home, ''Three Gables'', Fitzjohn's Avenue,
Hampstead
Hampstead () is an area in London, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, and extends from Watling Street, the A5 road (Roman Watling Street) to Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland. The area forms the northwest part of the Lon ...
. There is also a memorial to Holl at
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
.
![Frank Holl - Did you ever kill anybody Father](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Frank_Holl_-_Did_you_ever_kill_anybody_Father.jpg)
''Frank Holl: Emerging from the Shadows'' was a 2013 exhibition at the
Watts Gallery
Watts Gallery – Artists' Village is an art gallery in the village of Compton, near Guildford in Surrey. It is dedicated to the work of the Victorian-era painter and sculptor George Frederic Watts.
The gallery has been Grade II* listed on th ...
in
Surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
, England which included 14 paintings by the artist. Many of Holl's paintings have been lost, however; their importance as pieces of social realism ensures that the ones around will retain their value.
His painting ''Leaving Home'' was recently rediscovered.
Works
Overwork undermined Holl's health, but his reputation was assured by the studentship picture. In 1870 he painted ''Better is a Dinner of Herbs where Love is, than a Stalled Ox and Hatred therewith''; ''No Tidings from the Sea,'' a scene in a fisherman's cottage, in 1871—a story told with breath-catching pathos and power; ''I am the Resurrection and the Life'' (1872); ''Leaving Home'' (1873), ''Deserted'' (1874), both of which had great success; ''Her First-born,'' girls carrying a baby to the grave (1876); and ''Going Home'' (1877).
In 1877 he painted the two pictures ''Hush'' and ''Hushed.'' ''Newgate, Committed for Trial,'' first attested the breaking down of the painter's health in 1878. In this year he was elected A.R.A., and exhibited ''The Gifts of the Fairies,'' ''The Daughter of the House,'' ''Absconded,'' and a portrait of
Samuel Cousins
Samuel Cousins (9 May 1801 in Exeter – 7 May 1887 in London) was a British mezzotinter.
Life
Cousins was born at Exeter. In 1855 he was elected a full member of the Royal Academy, to which he later gave in trust £15,000 to provide annui ...
the
mezzotint
Mezzotint is a monochrome printmaking process of the '' intaglio'' family. It was the first printing process that yielded half-tones without using line- or dot-based techniques like hatching, cross-hatching or stipple. Mezzotint achieves tonali ...
engraver.
Holl was overwhelmed with commissions, which he would not decline. The consequences of this strain upon a constitution which was never strong were more or less, though unequally, manifest in ''Ordered to the Front,'' a soldier's departure (1880); ''Home Again,'' its sequel, in 1883 (after which he was made
Royal Academician
The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...
).
![Frank Holl (1845-1888) - Sir William Schwenck Gilbert - NPG 2911 - National Portrait Gallery](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Frank_Holl_%281845-1888%29_-_Sir_William_Schwenck_Gilbert_-_NPG_2911_-_National_Portrait_Gallery.jpg)
Holl's major portraits include likenesses of
Lord Roberts, painted for
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
(1882); the
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
(1882–83);
Lord Dufferin
Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava (21 June 182612 February 1902) was a British public servant and prominent member of Victorian society. In his youth he was a popular figure in the court of Queen Vict ...
, the
Duke of Cleveland
Duke of Cleveland was a title that was created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The dukedoms were named after Cleveland in northern England.
The first creation in 1670 (along with the barony ...
(1885);
Lord Overstone,
John Bright
John Bright (16 November 1811 – 27 March 1889) was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, one of the greatest orators of his generation and a promoter of free trade policies.
A Quaker, Bright is most famous for battling the Corn Laws ...
,
Mr Gladstone,
Joseph Chamberlain
Joseph Chamberlain (8 July 1836 – 2 July 1914) was a British statesman who was first a radical Liberal, then a Liberal Unionist after opposing home rule for Ireland, and eventually served as a leading imperialist in coalition with the Cons ...
,
John Tenniel
Sir John Tenniel (; 28 February 182025 February 1914)Johnson, Lewis (2003), "Tenniel, John", ''Grove Art Online, Oxford Art Online'', Oxford University Press. Web. Retrieved 12 December 2016. was an English illustrator, graphic humorist and pol ...
,
Earl Spencer,
Viscount Cranbrook, and a score of others.
''Did you ever kill anybody Father?'' (1883), showing a young girl with her father's
sabre
A sabre ( French: sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...
, fetched £74,500, below the estimate of £80,000 to £120,000, at
Christie's
Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...
in 2014. He used his daughter Nina as a model, and the sword of
Field Marshall, Lord Wolseley, whose portrait he was painting at the time. As recorded in the biography by another daughter:
inahad one day wandered into the studio after a sitting....calmly mounted the throne and taken up Lord Wolseley’s sword, which happened to be lying across the chair. She contemplated it gravely for a few moments and then suddenly looking up said, 'Did Lord Wolseley ever kill anybody with this, father?'
Gallery
Frank Holl (1845-88) - 'No Tidings from the Sea' - RCIN 405161 - Royal Collection.jpg, ''No Tidings from the Sea'', 1870, Royal Collection
The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world.
Spread among 13 occupied and historic royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King Charles III and overseen by the ...
Frank Holl - I am the Resurrection and the Life.jpg, ''I am the Resurrection and the Life'', or, ''A Village Funeral'', 1872
Frank Holl - Peeling Potatoes - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Peeling Potatoes'', c. 1880
Family vault of Frank Holl at Highgate Cemetery (west).jpg, Family vault of Frank Holl at Highgate Cemetery (west)
Monument above the vault of Frank Holl in Highgate Cemetery.jpg, Monument above the vault of Frank Holl in Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in north London, England. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East Cemeteries. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for some of the people buried there as ...
References
*
Further reading
*M. Bills (ed.), Frank Holl: Emerging from the Shadows, London, 2013
External links
*
Profile on Royal Academy of Arts Collections
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holl, Frank
1845 births
1888 deaths
Burials at Highgate Cemetery
19th-century English painters
English male painters
English portrait painters
Social realist artists
People educated at University College School
Painters from London
Artists' Rifles soldiers
Royal Academicians
Alumni of the Royal Academy Schools
19th-century English male artists