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JOHN ROGERS HERBERT R.A., H.R.I. (1810 – 1890)

EARLY 19th CENTURY WATERCOLOUR

 

Portrait of Three Young Ladies on a Balcony

Watercolour heightened with white

Signed & dated 1834 on fragment of original border attached to reverse of frame

24" x 18" (with arched top)

In antique style gold frame

 

IMAGE

 

 

 

John Rogers Herbert was a painter of portraits, historical genre, biblical scenes and landscapes.  He studied at the Royal Academy Schools from 1826 to 1828 and became one of the first masters at the Government School of Design at Somerset House.    At first he was a painter of portraits, which he began to exhibit at the Royal Academy in 1830.  He then turned to painting romantic genre.  His picture The Rendezvous was engraved for one of the Keepsake books.  As well as the Royal Academy, he also exhibited at the British Institute, the New Watercolour Society, the Royal Institute (of which he was an Honorary Member),  Thomas Agnew and Sons Gallery, The Royal Society of Artists Birmingham, the Fine Art Society, Walker Art Gallery Liverpool, Manchester City Art Gallery  and the Suffolk Street Galleries.  In 1841 he was elected Associate Member of the Royal Academy, rising to full membership in 1846. Following a visit to Italy, he painted many Italian historical subjects.  A keen admirer of Pugin, Herbert was converted to Catholicism in about 1840.  Thereafter his subjects were predominantly biblical, although he continued to paint some charming landscapes and genre scenes.  Herbert's biblical scenes show familiarity with the work of  Dyce and the Nazarenes.  His picture Our Saviour Subject to his Parents at Nazareth (Guildhall Art Gallery Exhibition 1847), seems to anticipate Millais's Christ in the House of his Parents, painted three years later, but Herbert used far more conventional Italian style figures. He lived at The Chimes, West End Lane, Kilburn, London and his sons Arthur John, Cyril Wiseman and Wilfred Vincent were all painters. Examples of work by John Rogers Herbert are in the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

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