Joseph Ratcliffe Skelton (1865–1927), often called J. R. Skelton, was a prolific English illustrator, working in

watercolour Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to t ...

and

oils An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

among other media.

Life

He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1865, son of Thomas Simpson Skelton and Sarah Knott; he was the fourth of six children. His father had been a bookbinder but became a photographer and photographic printer, moving to

South Mimms South Mimms is a village and civil parish in the Hertsmere district of Hertfordshire in the East of England. It is a small settlement located near to the junction of the M25 motorway with the A1(M) motorway and is perhaps more widely known because ...

, Middlesex by 1881. He married Violet G. Hastie in

Richmond, Surrey Richmond is a town in south-west London,The London Government Act 1963 (c.33) (as amended) categorises the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames as an Outer London borough. Although it is on both sides of the River Thames, the Boundary Commis ...

in 1912. He was active as an artist from the late 1880s, working in London. He painted figures, illustrations, and genre scenes. His paintings were exhibited in the

Royal Academy 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 ...

, the

Royal Institute of Oil Painters The Royal Institute of Oil Painters, also known as ROI, is an association of painters in London, England, and is the only major art society which features work done only in oil. It is a member society of the Federation of British Artists. Histor ...

, and the

Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

. He was a member of the

Royal West of England Academy The Royal West of England Academy (RWA) is Bristol's oldest art gallery, located in Clifton, Bristol, near the junction of Queens Road and Whiteladies Road. Situated in a Grade 2* listed building, it hosts five galleries and an exhibition program ...

. He died in North Kensington, Middlesex on 6 November 1927.

Gallery

File:ALONE ACROSS THE TRACKLESS SNOW.png, "Alone across the trackless snow" in ''Our Empire Story'', 1908 File:Stories of Beowulf water witch trying to stab beowulf.jpg, "Water witch trying to stab Beowulf" in ''Stories of Beowulf'', 1908 File:A minstrel sings of famous deeds by J. R. Skelton c 1910.jpg, "A minstrel sings of famous deeds", in ''English Literature for Boys and Girls'', File:G.S. Smithard; J.S. Skelton (1909) - The Voortrekkers.jpg, "The Voortrekkers", in ''South Africa'', 1909 File:British soldiers were seen fighting their way through the streets.jpg, "British soldiers were seen fighting their way through the streets", in ''India's Story'', 1912

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skelton, Joseph Ratcliffe 1865 births 1927 deaths English illustrators