 |
| The Saucer of Milk (1926) Link |
Helen Allingham (born Helen Mary Elizabeth Paterson) (1848-1926) was an English illustrator and watercolor painter. The oldest of seven children, she showed a talent for art at an early age. Both her maternal grandmother Sarah Smith Herford and her aunt Laura Herford were accomplished artists of their day, and her younger sister Caroline Paterson
also became a noted artist.
Helen initially studied art for three years at the Birmingham School of Design. Beginning in 1867, she attended the National Art Training School in London, now known as the Royal College of Art, where her Aunt Laura had previously studied.
While studying at the National Art Training School, Paterson worked as an illustrator. She eventually decided to leave school to pursue a full-time career in art. She painted illustrations for children's and adult books, as well as for newspapers and magazines, signing her work in this era as "H. Paterson". In 1874, she provided twelve illustrations for Thomas Hardy's novel Far From the Maddening Crowd which appeared in serialized form in Cornhill Magazine. The famous artist Vincent Van Gogh was said to be impressed by Helen's work which he saw in The Graphic newspaper. Helen became a lifelong friend of artist Kate Greenaway, whom she met while they both attended evening art classes at the Slade School for Fine Art in London.
In 1874 Helen married William Allingham, who was twenty-four years her senior. He was an accomplished Irish poet and editor of Fraser's Magazine. After her marriage to William, Helen gave up her career as an illustrator and turned to watercolor painting. At first the couple lived in Chelsea, London, near William's close friend the writer and philosopher Thomas Carlyle. It was there that they had their first two children – Gerald Carlyle (b. 1875) and Eva Margaret (b. 1877). In 1881, after the death of Carlyle, the Allinghams moved to Sandhills near Witley in Surrey, where their third child, Henry William, was born in 1882.
William continued to publish his poetry, and Helen began to paint the beautiful countryside around her. Critics saw her paintings as overly sentimental portrayals of rural life, but her work was loved by many, and still remains popular today. She became famous, under her married name, for her picturesque paintings which featured the soft rolling landscape of the Downs and the flowers, cottages and farmhouses of Surrey and Sussex. She went on to paint rural scenes of other areas in England, including Middlesex, Kent, the Isle of Wight, and the West Country, and she traveled to and painted scenes of her husband's native Ireland and also of Venice, Italy. As well as landscapes, she completed several portraits, including the one of her husband, shown above, and another of friend Thomas Carlyle.
In 1888, because of William's declining health, the Allinghams moved back to London, where William died in 1889 at Hampstead. According to his wishes, his ashes are interred at a church in his native Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland. Helen continued to paint, and in 1890, she became the first woman to be admitted as a full member of the Royal Watercolor Society. She died in 1926. Burgh House, Hampstead has the world's largest collection of her work. The Helen Allingham Society has a beautiful website which can be found here. Link According to their website, "The Helen Allingham Society is a non-profit organization created to celebrate the art and life of Helen Allingham. Our mission is simply to serve Helen admirers around the world by providing a site to meet, learn, communicate, and enjoy her beautiful watercolours. This site will help you learn about Helen's life and her contribution to Victorian art. It also provides an extensive gallery of her works, organized by thumbnail photos and titles. We will try to keep you up to date on auctions, exhibitions, and galleries where you can buy or sell her paintings. And finally we provide access to books and prints for your education and enjoyment, as well as links to related sites. We hope you enjoy our peaceful little corner of the world, pass the word to your friends, and stop back often."
The following beautiful images showcase the type of idyllic rural scenes for which Helen Allingham is best known. The 1903 book Happy England as Painted by Helen Allingham, R.W.S. by Marcus Bourne Huish and Helen Allingham features plates of 80 of her famous paintings, and provides insight into her life and work. The Homes of Tennyson (1905) was written in collaboration with her brother, Arthur Paterson. It focuses on the life and beautiful country homes of Victorian poet Alfred Lord Tennyson who was a friend of the Allinghams, and features 20 color plates of Helen's paintings.
 |
| Minna |
Helen initially studied art for three years at the Birmingham School of Design. Beginning in 1867, she attended the National Art Training School in London, now known as the Royal College of Art, where her Aunt Laura had previously studied.
 |
| A Cottage At Hambledon, Hants. (1903) |
While studying at the National Art Training School, Paterson worked as an illustrator. She eventually decided to leave school to pursue a full-time career in art. She painted illustrations for children's and adult books, as well as for newspapers and magazines, signing her work in this era as "H. Paterson". In 1874, she provided twelve illustrations for Thomas Hardy's novel Far From the Maddening Crowd which appeared in serialized form in Cornhill Magazine. The famous artist Vincent Van Gogh was said to be impressed by Helen's work which he saw in The Graphic newspaper. Helen became a lifelong friend of artist Kate Greenaway, whom she met while they both attended evening art classes at the Slade School for Fine Art in London.
 |
| Helen Allingham (1903) |
In 1874 Helen married William Allingham, who was twenty-four years her senior. He was an accomplished Irish poet and editor of Fraser's Magazine. After her marriage to William, Helen gave up her career as an illustrator and turned to watercolor painting. At first the couple lived in Chelsea, London, near William's close friend the writer and philosopher Thomas Carlyle. It was there that they had their first two children – Gerald Carlyle (b. 1875) and Eva Margaret (b. 1877). In 1881, after the death of Carlyle, the Allinghams moved to Sandhills near Witley in Surrey, where their third child, Henry William, was born in 1882.
 |
| William Allingham (1876) Link |
William continued to publish his poetry, and Helen began to paint the beautiful countryside around her. Critics saw her paintings as overly sentimental portrayals of rural life, but her work was loved by many, and still remains popular today. She became famous, under her married name, for her picturesque paintings which featured the soft rolling landscape of the Downs and the flowers, cottages and farmhouses of Surrey and Sussex. She went on to paint rural scenes of other areas in England, including Middlesex, Kent, the Isle of Wight, and the West Country, and she traveled to and painted scenes of her husband's native Ireland and also of Venice, Italy. As well as landscapes, she completed several portraits, including the one of her husband, shown above, and another of friend Thomas Carlyle.
 |
| A Cottage With Sunflowers At Peaslake Link |
In 1888, because of William's declining health, the Allinghams moved back to London, where William died in 1889 at Hampstead. According to his wishes, his ashes are interred at a church in his native Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland. Helen continued to paint, and in 1890, she became the first woman to be admitted as a full member of the Royal Watercolor Society. She died in 1926. Burgh House, Hampstead has the world's largest collection of her work. The Helen Allingham Society has a beautiful website which can be found here. Link According to their website, "The Helen Allingham Society is a non-profit organization created to celebrate the art and life of Helen Allingham. Our mission is simply to serve Helen admirers around the world by providing a site to meet, learn, communicate, and enjoy her beautiful watercolours. This site will help you learn about Helen's life and her contribution to Victorian art. It also provides an extensive gallery of her works, organized by thumbnail photos and titles. We will try to keep you up to date on auctions, exhibitions, and galleries where you can buy or sell her paintings. And finally we provide access to books and prints for your education and enjoyment, as well as links to related sites. We hope you enjoy our peaceful little corner of the world, pass the word to your friends, and stop back often."
 |
| Harvest Moon (1879) Link |
The following beautiful images showcase the type of idyllic rural scenes for which Helen Allingham is best known. The 1903 book Happy England as Painted by Helen Allingham, R.W.S. by Marcus Bourne Huish and Helen Allingham features plates of 80 of her famous paintings, and provides insight into her life and work. The Homes of Tennyson (1905) was written in collaboration with her brother, Arthur Paterson. It focuses on the life and beautiful country homes of Victorian poet Alfred Lord Tennyson who was a friend of the Allinghams, and features 20 color plates of Helen's paintings.
Images From Happy England (1903)
 |
| A Garden In October |
 |
| Wallflowers |
 |
| An Old Buckinghamshire House |
 |
| Apple and Pear Blossom |
 | |
| Bubbles |
 | |
| Cottage At Chiddingfold |
 |
| Cottage At Shottermill, Haslemere |
 |
| Foxgloves |
 |
| Herbaceous Border |
 |
| In A Summer Garden |
 |
| In Wormley Wood |
 |
| Spring In the Oakwood |
 |
| The Basket Woman |
 |
| The Clothesline |
 |
| The Cuckoo |
 |
| The Robin |
 |
| The Six Bells |
 |
| The Stile |
 |
| Valewood Farm |
Images From The Homes of Tennyson (1905)
 |
| Old Don |
 |
| Aldworth, From the Porch |
 |
| Aldworth |
 |
| Blackdown- Tennyson's Woods |
 |
| Blackdown- The Temple of the Winds |
 |
| Cottage At Roundhurst |
 |
| Farringford- Arbor In Kitchen Garden |
 |
| Farringford- Dairy & Home Farm |
 |
| Farringford- From the Upper Lawn |
 |
| Farringford- The Dairy Door |
 |
| Farringford- The Glade |
 |
| Farringford- The Kitchen Garden |
 |
| Farringford |
No comments:
Post a Comment