Geisha Girl by George Henry (detail) 1894, NGS

The Japanese Baby by George Henry 1893 (watercolour)

George Henry (1858–1943) was a Scottish

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

, one of the most prominent of the Glasgow School.

Life

Henry was born in

Irvine Irvine may refer to: Places On Earth Antarctica *Irvine Glacier *Mount Irvine (Antarctica) Australia *Irvine Island *Mount Irvine, New South Wales Canada *Irvine, Alberta * Irvine Inlet, Nunavut United Kingdom *Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...

North Ayrshire North Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Àir a Tuath, ) is one of 32 council areas in Scotland. The council area borders Inverclyde to the north, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire to the northeast, and East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire to the east and so ...

, and studied at the

Glasgow School of Art The Glasgow School of Art (GSA; gd, Sgoil-ealain Ghlaschu) is a higher education art school based in Glasgow, Scotland, offering undergraduate degrees, post-graduate awards (both taught and research-led), and PhDs in architecture, fine art, and ...

, later in Macgregor's studio, but learned most from his nature studies at

Kirkcudbright Kirkcudbright ( ; sco, Kirkcoubrie; gd, Cille Chùithbeirt) is a town, parish and a Royal Burgh from 1455 in Kirkcudbrightshire, of which it is traditionally the county town, within Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The town lies southwest of C ...

. His father's name was Hendry and George dropped the "d" from his surname as a young man. He was influenced also by his collaboration with E. A. Hornel in such works as "The

Druid A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...

s" (1887),

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 ...

, London. His "Galloway Landscape" was epoch-making at

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

by reason of its higher key of colour and essentially decorative character. Following these tendencies, the two friends spent a year and a half in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Henry's importance consists in his influence in the Glasgow school in the direction of richer and more decorative color. In addition to genre and landscape, he also painted portraits, more distinguished by technical ability than by rendition of character. Henry's pictures in public collections include "The Blue Gown," Museum of Cape Town, "The Gray Hat," at

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, two portraits at Glasgow, and one at

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

. He was elected a member of the

Royal Scottish Academy The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) is the country’s national academy of art. It promotes contemporary Scottish art. The Academy was founded in 1826 by eleven artists meeting in Edinburgh. Originally named the Scottish Academy, it became the ...

(1902) and an associate 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 ...

. "The Black Hat", a luminous portrait of a supremely confident Edwardian woman, was included i
Modern Britain
a 2007 exhibition at Melbourne's National Gallery of Victoria. In 1893 he went to Japan with

Edward Atkinson Hornel Edward Atkinson Hornel (17 July 1864 – 1933) was a Scottish painter of landscapes, flowers, and foliage, with children. He was a cousin of James Hornell. His contemporaries in the Glasgow Boys called him Ned Hornel. Biography Hornel was born ...

another of the Glasgow Boys for an 18-month study tour. His work thereafter continued to have a strong Oriental flavour.

Publications

* Martin, ''The Glasgow School of Painting'' (London, 1897) * Caw, ''Scottish Painting, Past and Present'' (Edinburgh, 1908)

References

External links

*
Gazetteer for ScotlandGeorge Henry's biography & artwork from the Permanent Collection of the Gracefield Arts Centre in Dumfries, Scotland
biography & virtual representation of George Henry's artwork of Gracefield Arts Centre at exploreart.co.uk

19th-century Scottish painters Scottish male painters 20th-century Scottish painters Royal Academicians 1858 births 1943 deaths People from Irvine, North Ayrshire Glasgow School Alumni of the Glasgow School of Art Royal Scottish Academicians 19th-century Scottish male artists 20th-century Scottish male artists {{UK-painter-19thC-stub