Philip Hermogenes Calderon (
Poitiers
Poitiers (, , , ; Poitevin: ''Poetàe'') is a city on the River Clain in west-central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and the historical centre of Poitou. In 2017 it had a population of 88,291. Its agglomerat ...
3 May 1833 – 30 April 1898
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 of French birth (mother) and Spanish (father) ancestry who initially worked in the
Pre-Raphaelite style before moving towards historical genre. He was Keeper of 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 ...
in
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 ...
.
Life
]
Calderon was born in
Poitiers, France
Poitiers (, , , ; Poitevin: ''Poetàe'') is a city on the River Clain in west-central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and the historical centre of Poitou. In 2017 it had a population of 88,291. Its agglomer ...
. His father, the
Reverend
The Reverend is an style (manner of address), honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian clergy and Minister of religion, ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and c ...
Juan Calderón (* in
Villafranca de los Caballeros; † in London) was a professor of Spanish literature and a former
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
priest who had converted to Anglicanism. Calderon planned to study
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
, but he became so interested in drawing technical figures and diagrams that he changed his mind and devoted his time to art. In 1850, he trained at
Leigh's art school,
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 ...
, then went to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
to study under
François-Édouard Picot
François-Édouard Picot (; 10 October 1786 in Paris – 15 March 1868 in Paris) was a French painter during the July Monarchy, painting mythological, religious and historical subjects.
Life
Born in Paris, Picot won the Prix de Rome paintin ...
in 1851. His first successful painting was called ''By the waters of Babylon'' (1852), which was followed by a much more popular one called ''Broken Vows'' (1856). From the beginning he was inspired by the Pre-Raphaelites, and some of his work showed the detail, deep colors, and realistic forms that characterize the style. The artist
Henry Stacy Marks
Henry Stacy Marks (13 September 1829 – 9 January 1898) was a British artist who took a particular interest in Shakespearean and medieval themes in his early career and later in decorative art depicting birds and ornithologists as well as lan ...
was his friend and brother-in-law, and Calderon exhibited his portrait at the Royal Academy in 1872.
Calderon became a leading member of the
St John's Wood Clique, a group of artists interested in modern genre and historical subjects who were inspired, both artistically and socially by the Pre-Raphaelites. Historical, biblical, and literary themes were common in Calderon's later work. Many of his pieces show women wearing rich, silky clothing in gently colored landscapes. His ''Morning'' (1884) features a copper-haired maiden watching a sunrise.
His ''Juliet'' (1888)
shows
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's
Juliet
Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist R ...
seated on her balcony gazing at the stars. His later paintings adopt a more classical style, comparable to
Edward Poynter
Sir Edward John Poynter, 1st Baronet (20 March 183626 July 1919) was an English painter, designer, and draughtsman, who served as President of the Royal Academy.
Life
Poynter was the son of architect Ambrose Poynter. He was born in Paris, Fr ...
, which resulted from his close relationship with
Frederic Leighton
Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton, (3 December 1830 – 25 January 1896), known as Sir Frederic Leighton between 1878 and 1896, was a British painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. His works depicted historical, biblical, and classical subjec ...
, then-President of the Royal Academy. Calderon became Keeper of the Royal Academy in 1887, and from then on worked to support the teaching of anatomy based on nude models at the Royal Academy Schools. His 1891 painting
''St Elizabeth of Hungary's great act of renunciation'' was secured by the
Chantrey bequest
Sir Francis Leggatt Chantrey (7 April 1781 – 25 November 1841) was an English sculptor. He became the leading portrait sculptor in Regency era Britain, producing busts and statues of many notable figures of the time. Chantrey's most notable w ...
for the national collection, and is now located in
Tate Britain
Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in ...
, but caused considerable controversy because of its perceived anti-Catholic message. It depicted the saint bending nude over an altar watched by monks.
Works
*''By the waters of Babylon'' (1852;
Tate
Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...
, London)
*'' 'Lord, Thy Will Be Done' '' (1855;
Yale Center for British Art
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the worl ...
, New Haven)
*''Broken vows ('More hearts are breaking in this world of ours, than one would say — Longfellow)'' (1856;
Tate
Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...
, London)
*''French peasants finding their stolen child'' (1859; Private collection)
*''The massacre of St. Bartholomew'' (1863; Private collection)
*''Margaret'' (1876;
Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester Art Gallery, formerly Manchester City Art Gallery, is a publicly owned art museum on Mosley Street in Manchester city centre. The main gallery premises were built for a learned society in 1823 and today its collection occupies three c ...
)
*''Morning'' (1884)
*''Juliet'' (1888)
*''St. Elizabeth of Hungary's great act of renunciation'' (1891;
Tate
Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...
, London)
Gallery
File:Philip Hermogenes Calderon - "Lord, Thy Will Be Done" - Google Art Project.jpg, '' 'Lord, Thy Will Be Done' '' (1855)
File:Philip Hermogenes Calderon - Ave Maria.jpg, ''Ave Maria'' (1858)
Image:Calderon Philip Hermogenes French Peasants Finding Their Stolen Child.jpg, ''French Peasants Finding Their Stolen Child'' (1859)
File:Philip Hermogenes Calderon - Letter from Daddy.jpg, ''Letter From Daddy'' (1873)
File:Juliet - Philip H. Calderon.jpg, ''Juliet'' (1888)
File:Calderon Philip Hermogenes St Elizabeth of Hungary.jpg, ''St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Elizabeth of Hungary (german: Heilige Elisabeth von Thüringen, hu, Árpád-házi Szent Erzsébet, sk, Svätá Alžbeta Uhorská; 7 July 1207 – 17 November 1231), also known as Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, or Saint Elisabeth of Thuringia, ...
's Great Act of Renunciation'' (1891)
File:Philip Hermogenes Calderon - Mariana.jpg, ''Mariana'' (scene depicts Act IV, Scene I, from‚ "Measure for Measure
''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604, according to available records. It was published in the ''First Folio'' of 1623.
The play's plot features its ...
" by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
.)
Further reading
*
Wilfrid Meynell
Wilfrid Meynell (17 November 1852, Newcastle-upon-Tyne – 20 October 1948, Pulborough),Obituary, ''The Times'', 22 October 1948, p.7. who sometimes wrote under the pseudonym John Oldcastle, was a British newspaper publisher and editor.
Born of ...
,
Volume 2 The modern school of art, volume 2' (London: W. R. Howell & Co., c. 1887), pp. 212–20.
References
External links
*
(ArtCyclopedia)
Biography and paintings(Art Renewal Center Museum)
Calderon's work analysisBiography and paintings(Artmagick)
*
s:Calderon, Philip Hermogenes (DNB01)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Calderon, Philip
1833 births
1898 deaths
French emigrants to England
English people of Spanish descent
19th-century English painters
English male painters
Keepers of the Royal Academy
19th-century painters of historical subjects
French people of Spanish descent
Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery
Artists' Rifles soldiers
People from Poitiers
Royal Academicians
19th-century English male artists