William Stephen Coleman (1829–1904) was an English painter and book illustrator.

Life

Born at

Horsham Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

, he was one of the 12 children of the surgeon William Thomas Coleman and his wife Henrietta Dendy; the artist Helen Cordelia Coleman (1847–1884) was the fifth daughter of the family. Coleman was unsuccessful in a career as surgeon, and turned to natural history illustration. He collaborated with

Harrison Weir Harrison William Weir (5 May 18243 January 1906), known as "The Father of the Cat Fancy", was a British artist. He organised the first cat show in England, at the Crystal Palace, London, in July 1871. He and his brother, John Jenner Weir, bo ...

Joseph Wolf Joseph Wolf (22 January 1820 – 20 April 1899) was a German artist who specialized in natural history illustration. He moved to the British Museum in 1848 and became the preferred illustrator for explorers and naturalists including David Livi ...

and others; in the preparation of the wood-blocks he was assisted by his sister Rebecca. He painted in watercolour, mainly landscapes with figures, in a style with something in common with

Birket Foster Myles Birket Foster (4 February 1825 – 27 March 1899) was a British illustrator, watercolourist and engraver in the Victorian period. His name is also to be found as Myles Birkett Foster. Life and work Foster was born in North Shiel ...

, and semi-classical figure subjects, related to those by

Albert Joseph Moore Albert Joseph Moore (4 September 184125 September 1893) was an English painter, known for his depictions of languorous female figures set against the luxury and decadence of the classical world. Life Moore was born at York on 4 September 1841 ...

. His classically-influenced works placed him in the "toga and terrace" or "marble school" with George Bulleid, W. Anstey Dollond, Norman Prescott-Davies and Oliver Rhys. William Stephen Coleman - An Interesting Story

William Stephen Coleman - An Interesting Story

Coleman also executed etchings, occasionally worked in pastel, and painted in oil. He was a member of the original committee of management of the Dudley Gallery, contributing to the first exhibition in 1865. He continued to exhibit till 1879, and remained on the committee till 1881. In 1869 Coleman began to experiment in pottery decoration; the

Mintons Mintons was a major company in Staffordshire pottery, "Europe's leading ceramic factory during the Victorian era", an independent business from 1793 to 1968. It was a leader in ceramic design, working in a number of different ceramic bodies, ...

Art Pottery Studio in

Kensington Gore Kensington Gore is the name of a U-shaped thoroughfare on the south side of Hyde Park in central London, England. The streets connect the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal College of Art, the Royal Geographical Society, and in Kensington Garde ...

was established under his direction in 1871, and he executed figure designs for Mintons ceramic ware. He died after a long illness at 11 Hamilton Gardens, St. John's Wood, on 22 March 1904. His widow survived him.

Works

In 1859 Coleman published ''Our Woodlands. Heaths, and Hedges'', and in 1860 ''British Butterflies'', both books running to several editions. Books that he illustrated included: *''Common Objects of the Country'' (1858) *''Our Garden Friends'' (1864), and ''Common Moths'' (1870), by

John George Wood John George Wood, or Rev J. G. Wood, (21 July 1827 – 3 March 1889), was an English writer who popularised natural history with his writings. Life and work Early life and ordination John George Wood was born in London, son of the surgeon J ...

*''Playhours and Half-holidays'' (1860), ''Sketches in Natural History'' (1861), and ''British Birds' Eggs and Nests'' (1861), by

John Christopher Atkinson John Christopher Atkinson (1814–1900) was an English author, antiquary, and priest. Life Born on 9 May 1814 at Goldhanger in Essex, where his father was then curate, he was the son of John Atkinson and the grandson of Christopher Atkinson (d. 18 ...

*''British Ferns'' (1861), by

Thomas Moore Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist celebrated for his ''Irish Melodies''. Their setting of English-language verse to old Irish tunes marked the transition in popular Irish culture from Irish ...

*''A Treasury of New Favourite Tales'' (1861) by

Mary Howitt Mary Howitt (12 March 1799-30 January 1888) was an English poet, the author of the famous poem '' The Spider and the Fly''. She translated several tales by Hans Christian Andersen. Some of her works were written in conjunction with her husband, ...

*''Philip and his Garden'' (1861) by

Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna Charlotte Elizabeth Tonna (1 October 1790 – 12 July 1846) was a popular Victorian English writer and novelist who wrote under the pseudonym Charlotte Elizabeth. She was "a woman of strong mind, powerful feeling, and of no inconsiderable share ...

*''Hymns in Prose for Children'' (1864) by

Anna Letitia Barbauld Anna Laetitia Barbauld (, by herself possibly , as in French, Aikin; 20 June 1743 – 9 March 1825) was a prominent English poet, essayist, literary critic, editor, and author of children's literature. A " woman of letters" who published in mu ...

*''The Illustrated London Almanack'' and ''Cassell's Natural History''.

Notes

;Attribution

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Coleman, William Stephen 1829 births 1904 deaths English painters English watercolourists English illustrators