William Brassey Hole RSA (7 November 1846 – 22 October 1917) was a Scottish artist, illustrator,

etcher Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...

, and engraver, known for his industrial, historical and biblical scenes.

Life

Early life and training

Salisbury Cathedral- memorial (45) - geograph

Hole was born in

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of ...

, Wiltshire, the son of a doctor, Richard Brassey Hole and his wife Ann Burn Hole (nee Fergusson); his father died in the

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium '' Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting an ...

epidemic of 1849, when William was only 3 years of age, and the family relocated to

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 ...

, Scotland, shortly afterwards. He was educated at

Edinburgh Academy The Edinburgh Academy is an independent day school in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was opened in 1824. The original building, on Henderson Row in the city's New Town, is now part of the Senior School. The Junior School is located on Arboretum Ro ...

, then served an apprenticeship as a

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...

for 5 years, although he really wanted to be an artist.Meynell, 1887. In 1869, he sailed from

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the C ...

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...

, and spent the next 6 months travelling and sketching around

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. In

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

he made the acquaintance of Keeley Halswelle who gave him practical advice on art. It was Halswelle whose criticism encouraged Hole to endeavour to become a professional painter. On returning to Edinburgh, Hole entered the School of Design, then won admission to the life school of the Royal Scottish Academy, first exhibiting there in 1873; in 1878 he was elected an associate of the Academy. Around this time he took up

etching Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...

and was accepted into the Royal Society of Painters and Etchers (RE) in 1885; he was already a member of the

Royal Scottish Watercolour Society The Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolours (RSW) is a Scottish organisation of painters. The first preliminary meeting of the society took place in Glasgow on 21 December 1877 as a reaction to a lack of interest in watercolour art by ...

(RSW) from 1884. He eventually became a full member of the Academy (RSA).

Career

The grave of William Hole RSA, Grange Cemetery, Edinburgh

Hole went on to specialise in painting industrial and historical material. Although born in England, his mother was Scottish, he was brought up, studied, lived, worked and died in Edinburgh, and devoted much of his energies to Scottish national subjects and purposes. Principal paintings include ''End of the '45'' (1879), ''A Straggler of the Chevalier's Army'', '' Culloden'', '' Prince Charlie's Parliament'' (1882), ''If thou hadst known'' (1885) and ''The

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of t ...

Pilgrims'' (1889). Other paintings included ''Medea in the Island of Circe'', several based on Arthurian legend, and several depicting the life of fishermen on the west coast of Scotland, exhibited in 1883–84. Of the latter, ''The Night's Catch'' and ''The fill of the two Boats'' were praised by critics.Caw, p. 268 ff. Hole's etchings were also highly regarded, one critic describing them as "perhaps the most wonderful translations of colour and handling, of design and conception and spirit, into another artistic medium ever made, and entitle their author to rank with creative artists of the highest class". Around 1900, he travelled to Palestine in order to study the background for biblical painting. There he began working on the 80 watercolours that would eventually appear as illustrations in his book ''The Life of Jesus of Nazareth''. In April to May 1906 these pictures were shown at an exhibition at the Fine Art Society in London. He also painted scenes from the Old Testament. In 1898 Hole painted a Processional

Frieze In architecture, the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Paterae are also usually used to decorate friezes. Even when neither columns nor ...

for the entrance hall of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, showing over 150 figures or "heroes" from Scotland's past. A critic described this work as "one of the most notable essays in mural decoration ever accomplished in this country". He also provided historical paintings for

Edinburgh City Chambers Edinburgh City Chambers in Edinburgh, Scotland, is the meeting place of the City of Edinburgh Council and its predecessors, Edinburgh Corporation and Edinburgh District Council. It is a Category A listed building. History The current building ...

and ecclesiastical decorations for other buildings. Hole drew the black and white illustrations for several books including works by

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as '' Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

, J M Barrie, and Robert Burns. In later life he lived at 13 Inverleith Terrace in north Edinburgh, his neighbour at 15 being fellow-artist James Cadenhead.Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1911–12. Hole died in Edinburgh in 1917. He is buried in the Grange Cemetery in the ground of James Lindsay in the centre of the north wall. His name is listed at the base of the monument along with other members of the Hole family.

Selected works

These are some of the publications Hole illustrated. *Hole, William.
Quasi cursores
' (Edinburgh Univ. Press, 1884) *Stevenson, R. L.
The Wrecker
' (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1892) *Stevenson, R. L.
Catriona
' (London: Cassell & Co. Ltd., 1893) *MacLaren, Ian. ''

Beside The Bonnie Brier Bush ''Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush'' is a book of short stories by Ian Maclaren published in 1894. It became a hugely popular bestseller. It is considered to be part of the Kailyard School of Scottish literature. A kailyard or kailyaird (kale) is com ...

'' (

Hodder & Stoughton Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint of Hachette. History Early history The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged 14, with Messrs Jackson and Walford, the official publishe ...

, 1896). *Barrie, J. M.
Auld Licht Idylls
' (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1902) *Barrie, J. M.
A Window in Thrums
' (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1902) *Hole, William. ''The life of Jesus of Nazareth: eighty pictures'' (Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1906) *Hole William. ''The Holy Bible. Containing The Old And New Testaments'' (Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1925)

Gallery

File:Luke 2-41-50. Jesus goeth up with his parents to the Passover at the age of twelve years; and tarreith behind the temple, seeking instruction from the doctors of the law LOC matpc.23114.jpg, "Jesus... seeking instruction from the doctors of the law" (Luke 2:41-50) File:Luke 2-51, 52. Jesus returneth with his parents to Nazareth where he is subject unto them LOC matpc.23115.jpg, "Jesus returneth with his parents to Nazareth" (Luke 2:51-52) File:War of Independence figures by Wm Hole.JPG,

First War of Scottish Independence The First War of Scottish Independence was the first of a series of wars between English and Scottish forces. It lasted from the English invasion of Scotland in 1296 until the ''de jure'' restoration of Scottish independence with the Treaty ...

File:Roman generals and emperors closeup in the frieze of the Great Hall of the National Galleries Scotland by William Brassey Hole 1897.jpg, Roman generals and emperors closeup in a frieze at the Great Hall of the Scottish National Gallery File:Saint Columba converting the Picts.jpg, Saint Columba converting the Picts File:Battle of Largs (detail), 1263.JPG, Battle of Largs File:Caledonia by Wm Hole.JPG, Caledonia

References

;Citations * Wilfrid Meynell.
The modern school of art, Volume 4
' (London: W. R. Howell & Co., c. 1887) *Caw, James L.
Scottish painting past and present
' (T.C. & E.C. Jack, 1908) *Ackerman, Gerald M. ''Les orientalistes de l'Ecole Britannique'' (Art Creation Realisation, 1991) p. 323

External links

William Hole Online. News, biography and general information about the artist.

William Hole archive
(Edinburgh University Library)
Etched portraits by Hole
( National Portrait Gallery) * *
Leith Docks
(1880 etching)

(1882 etching)

(1902 etching) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hole, William Fergusson People educated at Edinburgh Academy Pre-Raphaelite painters 19th-century English painters English male painters 20th-century English painters English illustrators English watercolourists People from Salisbury English etchers English engravers 1917 deaths Royal Scottish Academicians 1846 births Pre-Raphaelite illustrators Pre-Raphaelite engravers 20th-century English male artists 19th-century English male artists