James Clarke Hook, RA

James Clarke Hook|British and Foreign Artists' Association|Otto Theodore Leyde|Knoedler, Washington DC|Sir John Everett Millais

1884 · Etching and drypoint on chine collé · Drawings and Prints

James Clarke Hook, RA — James Clarke Hook|British and Foreign Artists' Association|Otto Theodore Leyde|Knoedler, Washington DC|Sir John Everett Millais

Leyde's etching reproduces Millais's sensitive portrait of a fellow artist, exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1883 (now private collection). Hook's seaside landscapes and genre pictures celebrating the virtues of humble people, were widely admired by his Victorian contemporaries. Praised by both Baudelaire and Ruskin, his paintings remain under appreciated today. The artist's dedication to the out-doors and reforming character are suggested by his rough suit and direct expression (a life-long Methodist and political Liberal, Hook organized regular public meetings at his home in Churt to benefit his humbler neighbors).

Artist: James Clarke Hook|British and Foreign Artists' Association|Otto Theodore Leyde|Knoedler, Washington DC|Sir John Everett Millais
Date: 1884
Medium: Etching and drypoint on chine collé
Department: Drawings and Prints
Credit line: Gift of Donato Esposito, 2016