John Callcott Horsley was an English Academic painter of genre and historical scenes, illustrator, and designer of the first Christmas card.
Background
Horsley was born on January 29, 1817 in London, England, the son of William Horsley, the musician, and grand-nephew of Sir Augustus Callcott. His sister Mary Elizabeth Horsley wed the famous British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1836.
Education
Horsley was mentored by William Mulready and Augustus Wall Callcot who sent him at age thirteen to study at Dr Henry Sass's academy where he met D. G Rossetti, J. Millais and W. P. Frith. Following preparatory school Horsley studied painting at the Royal Academy schools where he met Thomas Webster.
Career
Horsley's paintings were largely of historical subjects set in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, influenced by the Dutch masters Pieter de Hooch and Vermeer. Examples are "Malvolio", "L'Allegro and il Penseroso" (painted for the Prince Consort), "Le Jour des Morts" and "A Scene from Don Quixote". As a young artist Horsley was patronised by the collector John Sheepshanks, who bought two of Horsley's paintings: ''The Rival Performers" (1839), and ''Youth and Age" (1839); both of which are now part of the V&A collection. In 1843 his cartoon of "St Augustine Preaching" won a prize in the competition to provide interior decorations for Palace of Westminster. This led to his being selected in 1844 he was as one of the six painters commissioned to execute frescoes there. He painted "Religion" (1845) in the House of Lords, "Henry V assuming the Crown" and "Satan touched by Ithuriel's Spear while whispering evil dreams to Eve". In 1864 he became a Royal Academician. Horsley had much to do with organizing the winter exhibitions of "Old Masters" at Burlington House after 1870. Horsley was rector and treasurer of the Royal Academy from 1875 to 1890 and 1882 to 1897 respectively. He earned the nickname 'Clothes-Horsley' for his opposition to the use of nude life models. When, during the 1880s, the example of the French Salon began to affect the Academy exhibitors, and paintings of the nude became the fashion, he protested against the innovation, and his attitude caused Punch to give him the sobriquet of "Mr J. C(lothes) Horsley". Protests against the nude in 1885 assumed a variety of forms: Moore's White Hydrangea was damaged by a 'scratching fiend' during the summer exhibition and life studies executed by Academy students were stolen. However, it was a letter printed in The Times on 20 May which proved the catalyst for igniting a national controversy around the exhibition of the nude. The letter was titled 'A Woman's Plea' and signed 'British Matron'. He resigned from the academy in 1897, and became a "retired Academician". Horsley designed the first ever Christmas card, commissioned by Henry Cole. It caused some controversy because it depicted a small child drinking wine. He also designed the Horsley envelope, a pre-paid envelope that was the precursor to the postage stamp. In 1856 Horsley was photographed at "The Photographed Institute" by Robert Howlett, as part of a series of portraits of "fine artists". The picture was among a group exhibited at the Art Treasures Exhibition in Manchester in 1857.
Achievements
Membership
Member of the Etching Club
Connections
Horsley married Elvira Walter in 1846 with whom he had three sons. Elvira died of consumption in 1852 followed by the deaths of Edward and Harry in 1854 and Frank in 1857 due to scarlet fever. Horsley remarried to Rosamund Haden who came from a family of distinguished surgeons. Rosamund gave birth to 11 children.