William Logsdail (25 May 1859 – 3 September 1944) was a prolific English landscape, portrait, and genre painter. He exhibited at 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 Society of British Artists The Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) is a British art body established in 1823 as the Society of British Artists, as an alternative to the Royal Academy. History The RBA commenced with twenty-seven members, and took until 1876 to reach fif ...

, the

Grosvenor Gallery The Grosvenor Gallery was an art gallery in London founded in 1877 by Sir Coutts Lindsay and his wife Blanche. Its first directors were J. Comyns Carr and Charles Hallé. The gallery proved crucial to the Aesthetic Movement because it provided ...

, the

New Gallery (London) The New Gallery is a Crown Estate-owned Grade II Listed buildingWood, Christopher. ''Dictionary of British Art, Volume IV: Victorian Painters: I. The Text'', (Antique Collectors' Club, Woodbridge, 1995), p. 321 He is notable for his realistic London and Venice scenes and his ''

plein air ''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...

'' style.

Early life

He was born in the Close of

Lincoln Cathedral Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln Minster, or the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln and sometimes St Mary's Cathedral, in Lincoln, England, is a Grade I listed cathedral and is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Lincoln. Constructio ...

, in

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, May 1859. He was one of seven children, six boys and one girl. His father was a verger at the cathedral.Cooper, Francis J.. ''William Logsdail of Lincoln (1859-1944): Memorial Exhibition, 1952'', (Usher Art Gallery, 1952), p. 5 As a boy, William attended Lincoln School (now

Lincoln Christ's Hospital School Lincoln Christ's Hospital School is an English state secondary school with academy status located in Wragby Road in Lincoln. It was established in 1974, taking over the pupils and many of the staff of the older Lincoln Grammar School and Chris ...

), and also earned money by guiding visitors up the central tower of the cathedral.

Training

Logsdail attended the

Lincoln School of Art The Lincoln College of Art was an educational institution devoted to the arts, based in the English city of Lincoln with its origins in the mid-nineteenth century. The institution changed shape and name numerous times over its history before bei ...

, where he initially showed an aptitude for architecture, but with the encouragement of his art master,

Edward R. Taylor __NOTOC__ Edward Richard Taylor RBSA (14 June 1838 – 11 January 1911) was an English artist and educator. He painted in both oils and watercolours. He became a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists in 1879. Biography Taylor ta ...

, (who was also Head of the School) he took to painting. While there, he won the Gold Medal for his work in competition with students at other English art schools.Cooper, Francis J.. ''William Logsdail of Lincoln (1859-1944): Memorial Exhibition, 1952'', (Usher Art Gallery, 1952), p. 6 He went on to study in

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

, at the École des Beaux-Arts, under Charles Verlat.'A Celebrated Lincoln Artist', ''Lincoln Gazette'', June, 1883 While there, he became the first Englishman to win first prize at the School.Cooper, Francis J.. ''William Logsdail of Lincoln (1859-1944): Memorial Exhibition, 1952'', (Usher Art Gallery, 1952), p. 7 One of his works from this period, ''The Fish Market'' (1880), was bought on behalf of

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 ...

for

Osborne House Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat. Albert designed the house himself, in t ...

., When told of this, Logsdail supposedly commented, 'Shows her Majesty's good sense'.

Career

In the autumn of 1880, Logsdail visited

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

where he was to remain, with occasional visits to England, the Balkans, Egypt and the Middle East, until 1900. During this early period in his career, he gravitated towards architectural and subject paintings. His ''The Piazza of St. Mark's, Venice'', painted in 1883, was judged by the Royal Academy to be the 'picture of the year' when it was exhibited in London although he appears to have been dissatisfied by it, and seriously considered cutting the painting up during its composition. He also painted some sixty-nine small paintings for the

Fine Art Society The Fine Art Society is a gallery based in both London and in Edinburgh's New Town (originally Bourne Fine Art, established 1978). The New Bond Street, London gallery closed its doors in August 2018 after being occupied by The Fine Art Society si ...

on the subject of the French and Italian Riviera. Seven of these were sold to the

Duke of Westminster Duke of Westminster is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. It is the most recent dukedom conferred on someone not related to the ...

. In 1893, Logsdail was awarded a medal for oil painting at the

World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordi ...

(also known as the Chicago World's Fair). After spending two years in Taormina and Sicily, he and his family returned to England, settling in West Kensington, London, where his ''The Early Victorian'' (1906) (a costume portrait of his daughter Mary) was well received. This marked the beginning of a period of portrait painting for Logsdail, who was offered so many commissions that he was able to pick and choose his sitter at will. In 1912, he was elected as a member of the

Royal Society of Portrait Painters The Royal Society of Portrait Painters is a charity based at Carlton House Terrace, SW1, London that promotes the practice and appreciation of portraiture. Its Annual Exhibition of portraiture is held at Mall Galleries, and it runs a commissio ...

. As his career progressed, he turned to flower studies.

Personal life and death

In 1892, Logsdail met May Ashman of Necton, near Swaffham in Norfolk, marrying her in the same year. He had three children with her In 1922, he and his family moved to the Manor House at Noke, near

Islip, Oxfordshire Islip is a village and civil parish on the River Ray, just above its confluence with the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, England. It is about east of Kidlington and about north of Oxford. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 65 ...

, where Logsdail remained until his death at the age 85. A plaque on the house commemorates his time there.

Relations with other painters

Logsdail was a friend of

Frank Bramley Frank Bramley RA (6 May 1857 – 9 August 1915) was an English post-impressionist genre painter of the Newlyn School. Personal life Bramley was born in Sibsey, near Boston, in Lincolnshire to Charles Bramley from Fiskerton also in Lincol ...

, who also attended Lincoln School of Art and went on to co-found the

Newlyn School The Newlyn School was an art colony of artists based in or near Newlyn, a fishing village adjacent to Penzance, on the south coast of Cornwall, from the 1880s until the early twentieth century. The establishment of the Newlyn School was reminisc ...

and be elected to the

. While Logsdail was still studying, the art critic

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and politi ...

saw his painting of Lincoln Cathedral's south porch and expressed a favourable opinion of the work, later writing to him and suggesting that he go to

Verona Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Northern Italy, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and the ...

once his studies had reached a conclusion, advice the young artist ignored. While in Venice, Logsdail moved in a social circle that included Harper Pennington,

Robert Frederick Blum Robert Frederick Blum (9 July 1857 – 8 June 1903) was an American artist. He was one of the youngest members of the National Academy of Design and was President of the Painters in Pastel and a member of the Society of American Artists and the A ...

, Martin Rico y Ortega,

Frank Duveneck Frank Duveneck (né Decker; October 9, 1848 – January 3, 1919) was an American figure and portrait painter. Early life Duveneck was born in Covington, Kentucky, the son of German immigrant Bernhard Decker. Decker died in a cholera epidemic whe ...

James McNeill Whistler James Abbott McNeill Whistler (; July 10, 1834July 17, 1903) was an American painter active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He eschewed sentimentality and moral allusion in painting and was a leading pr ...

and

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 14, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil paintings and more ...

, the latter of whom inscribed a picture to Logsdail. While not inclined to openly criticise other artists, Logsdail did, in his memoirs, relate a story concerning

Walter Sickert Walter Richard Sickert (31 May 1860 – 22 January 1942) was a German-born British painter and printmaker who was a member of the Camden Town Group of Post-Impressionist artists in early 20th-century London. He was an important influence on d ...

. As he worked on his ''Ponte della Paglia'' (1898), Sickert arrived and set up his easel nearby. He then 'began to caper like a master of fence, backing and lunging with sudden stabs at his canvas'. An American passing by noticed a button on the pavement, retrieved it and, offering it to Sickert, said, 'Excuse me, sir, but I think this has worked loose!'.Cooper, Francis J.. ''William Logsdail of Lincoln (1859-1944): Memorial Exhibition, 1952'', (Usher Art Gallery, 1952), p. 9

Style

William Logsdail - St Martin-in-the-Fields - Google Art Project

Logsdail cultivated a tight objective and realistic style, although his later portraiture and the works painted while in Sicily demonstrate a relaxation of this style. His Venice-based works exhibit a high degree of draughtsmanship described as beautiful and nearly photographic. There is a cool proficiency in his architectural work and street scenes that express what was actually there before him. For example, in the winter in which he came to paint his '' St. Martin's-in-the-Fields'' (1888), he hoped for a snow scene, but when faced with only rain and sleet, Logsdail, with his feet buried in straw to keep them warm, painted the scene without snow.

Contemporary criticism

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'', in its review of the Royal Academy's 1881 exhibition, called Logsdail's work technically almost faultless, resembling a first-rate mosaic, rather than possessing those qualities understood by artists as painting and lacking 'delicacy of gradation'. The Standard, in their review of the Royal Academy's 1883 exhibition described his ''The Piazza of St. Mark's, Venice'' as possessing a 'vivacity of characterisation' and a 'brilliancy of painting'. In its review of London art exhibitions in 1887, ''The Times'' commented that his 'eastern' works, such as ''Arch of the Khalif - Cairo'' and ''Doorway of a Mosque'', painted while in Egypt, were admirable and suited his talents as a colourist. Commenting on his ''The Ninth of November (The Lord Mayor's Procession, London, 1888)'' (1890), the ''

Birmingham Daily Post The ''Birmingham Post'' is a weekly printed newspaper based in Birmingham, England, with a circulation of 2,545 and distribution throughout the West Midlands. First published under the name the ''Birmingham Daily Post'' in 1857, it has had a s ...

'' pointed out its success in its accurate portrayal of the 'vigour, variety, humour, and incident of a London crowd'. ''

The Morning Post ''The Morning Post'' was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by ''The Daily Telegraph''. History The paper was founded by John Bell. According to historian Robert Darnton, ''The Morning Po ...

'', in its review of the Royal Academy's 1897 exhibition, highlighted the 'sincerity' and 'judicious combination' of colour hues demonstrated in his ''Bronze Horses of St. Mark's, Venice'' (1897).

Posthumous sales

The record auction price is for a picture of The Bank and the Royal Exchange which made £420,000 at Duke's auctions. The Gates of Khalifa, Cairo realised £200,000 at Sotheby's in October 2019. St. Martin-in-the-Fields achieved $214,200 in the sale of The Ann & Gordon Getty Collection at Christie's in New York in October 2022. Bank and the Royal Exchange was offered with an estimate of £600,000 - £800,000 at Sotheby's in July 2010 but was unsold. His portrait of his daughter "An Early Victorian" which launched his career as a portraitist made £30,000 at Christie's in 2011.

Selected works

*''The Fish Market'' (1880) *''Courtyard of the Plantin-Moretus House, Antwerp'' (1882) *''The Piazza of St. Mark's, Venice'' (1883) *'' St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London'' (1888) *''The Ninth of November (The Lord Mayor's Procession, London, 1888)'' (1890) *''A Street in Taormina'' (1901) *''Elisabeth, daughter of His Honour the late Judge Eustace Hills, KC'' (1907) *''Portrait of T. Hampson Jones, Esq.'' (1916) *''Portrait of Stanley George Lutwyche, Master of the Leathersellers' Company 1906-07'' (1912, Leathersellers' Hall)Worshipful Company of Leathesellers, ref ART/39

References

External links

*
William Logsdail's ''The Piazza of Saint Mark's, Venice'' at Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery website

Circle of William Logsdail, ''St. Mark's Square, with Santa Maria della Salute beyond'', on Christie's website

William Logsdail's ''St. Martin-in-the-Fields'' at Tate Collection website

* ttp://openplaques.org/people/7984 Historical plaques about William Logsdail, on Open Plaques website {{DEFAULTSORT:Logsdail, William 1859 births 1944 deaths 19th-century English painters English landscape painters English male painters 20th-century English painters People educated at Lincoln Grammar School People from Lincoln, England 20th-century English male artists 19th-century English male artists