Friends of The Wilson Newsletter - Summer 2021 by editor-friendsofthewilson.org

Newsletter Issue 132

Summer 2021

Table of Contents AGM Announcement ...........................................4

Events & Exhibitions .............................................9

Artists in THEIR Residence .............................. 19

Figure by a River ................................................... 11

The Three of Us

From the Archives .............................................. 21

Rizpah Amadasun

Gustav von Holst ................................................ 13

Hannah Whyte

Holst Victorian House ...........................................9

Soozy Roberts

Letter From The Chair ..........................................3

Art Quiz ................................................................. 21 Book Review ......................................................... 18 Herbert Ponting: Scott’s Antarctic Photographer and Pioneer Filmmaker by Anne Strathie Contacts ................................................................ 23 Copyright .............................................................. 23 Events .......................................................................5 Art and Freedom: Nick Nelson Herbert Ponting: Scott’s Antarctic Photographer and Pioneer Filmmaker: Anne Strathie Highnam Court & The Holy Innocents Church, Gloucester The Battle of Tewkesbury: Steve Goodchild The Story of Tewkesbury Abbey: John Jeffreys

Membership Renewals .........................................5 Message From The Cheltenham Trust .............4 New Members ..................................................... 11 Photo Credits ....................................................... 22 Reviews ................................................................. 15 Architecture and Planning of Late-Georgian Spa Towns Arthur Cameron: A “Reformed Cockney in Arcadia”? Arts and Crafts: Folk Song and Dance Save the Date ...................................................... 20 Where to Visit ...................................................... 10 Castle Howard Works on Paper .................................................. 12

‘Jewels in the Crown’: Sezincote and Chipping Campden

Figure by a River, page 11

Gustav von Holst and his Brother Theodore, page 13

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Letter From The Chair

Dear Friends, I want to share some good news with you. The Friends of The Wilson have been able to play the leading role in helping The Wilson, and indeed Cheltenham, to acquire a painting of international importance: Angelika Kauffmann’s 1794 portrait of John Rushout, 2nd Baron Northwick. Readers of January’s newsletter will recall David Addison’s introduction to his article on the Northwick Collection: “In the midnineteenth century Cheltenham housed one of the great European art collections of the period, assembled and curated by John Rushout, the 2nd Lord Northwick.” It had been known since early in 2020 that the owner of this painting, a private collector, wanted to sell the Kauffmann portrait and was keen that it should come home (as it were) to Cheltenham; but in view of the accelerating pandemic, the Friends and The Cheltenham Trust (TCT) had agreed that this was not the time to pursue such an acquisition. This situation changed, however, in early October, when the Friends were notified that the vendor was willing to reduce the asking price significantly, but only if The Wilson could commit by the end of the month to buying the painting. Clearly, it was out of the question for TCT to get involved when virtually all its staff were on furlough, and all its usual sources of income had been cut off. So, I am very grateful to Laurie Bell, CEO of the Trust, for agreeing that the Friends could open negotiations to try to raise the necessary funds. We were able to embark on this quest because the London-based Society of Dilettanti – whose Charitable Trust Fund helps museums, libraries and the National Trust to acquire archives and works of art – had made us a very generous offer. If we could contribute £10,000,

the Society would assemble a grant sufficient to enable the Friends to put forward more than half the asking price for the painting. This we did, thereby making it possible to apply for a substantial grant from The Art Fund. I am very pleased to report that by the skin of our collective teeth, and with goodwill on all sides, we were able to guarantee the necessary funds by 31st October and secure the painting for The Wilson. Angelika Kauffmann (1741-1807), though Swiss-born, established her reputation as one of the leading female artists of her day here in England. She is now regarded as one of the key women in the story of European art and this fine portrait will considerably enhance the standing of The Wilson’s art collections and will be another attraction drawing visitors to Cheltenham. In due course there will be several people to be thanked by name when I give a full account of the story of this remarkable acquisition at the Friends’ AGM. Meanwhile, I hope all of you as members of The Friends will take some pride in the fact that we have been able to do this for The Wilson and for the town of Cheltenham at a time when art galleries and museums around the world are struggling to reopen and are facing such an uncertain future. With all good wishes,

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Message From The Cheltenham Trust

Exciting new spaces for The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum, which has been closed throughout the pandemic, will remain closed to enable refurbishment to provide a new community art gallery and arts café. The ground and mezzanine floors will be reconfigured to provide new, vibrant spaces to showcase the work of local artists and creatives, and to host a range of diverse community events and activities. The process to select a contractor is underway and it is anticipated that work will commence on site early summer. The date for

reopening of the venue will be subject to the final contract and programme of work. A programme of cultural events, talks, workshops, exhibitions and activities will be delivered across the Trust’s venues while the refurbishment work takes place. The programme for the relaunch and the new spaces is underway, focused on increasing footfall and visitors, to enable the venue to become more financially sustainable. For further information about the Charles Irving Community Gallery, visit The Wilson’s website (www.cheltenhammuseum.org.uk/ charlesirving/) Sir Charles Irving (MP for Cheltenham 1974-1992) © Martin Horwood

AGM Announcement

AGM Announcement Thursday 1st July 2021 7pm The Annual General Meeting of the Friends of The Wilson will be held by Zoom (as it was in 2020) and will be introduced as usual by our President, P.J. Crook. The formal Agenda will be published by 15th May on the Latest News page of the Friends’ website and in both the May and June News Updates. It will also be available in hard copy by request to the Secretary, John Beard. His contact details (phone and email) are given on the Contacts page, on the inside rear cover of this Newsletter. All Friends of The Wilson in good standing by 31st May are welcome to attend and vote at this important annual occasion. The trustees hope that as many members as possible will join them for the meeting, which should not last more than one hour at most. To receive a Zoom invitation, please register your intention to attend by informing the Secretary in advance. This is necessary, to ensure that the meeting will be quorate and can proceed as scheduled.

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Membership Renewals

Events

Membership renewals

Events

Membership subscriptions were due on 1st April 2021 and we’ve had payments from most of you, including those who pay by standing order. Many thanks to all. I look forward to hearing from the rest of you. Rates are £20 for Individual and £35 for Joint memberships. If you joined on or after 1st October 2020, your membership runs to 31st March 2022 so no additional payment is required this year.

If you would like to attend one or more of the following events, please complete the online or paper booking form and include your email address to receive a Zoom invitation to your chosen event.

There are several payment options, though our preference is always a standing order. You can also renew online at our website (www. friendsofthewilson.org.uk/membershiprenewal-form/): here you can pay by credit or debit card, or even PayPal if you have an account. So, this is a quick and easy option. Here, if you are a taxpayer and have not already done so, you can also Gift Aid your subscription. As a registered charity we can claim from HMRC 25p for every £1 contributed by a Friend, be it from subscriptions or donations. This can add several thousand pounds a year to our income. Want to pay by cheque? Well that’s still possible. Cheques should be made payable to the ‘FOTW’ and sent to the Membership Secretary, Flat 3 Queensholme, Pittville Circus Road, Cheltenham, GL52 2QE. Please enclose a stamped-addressed envelope for the return of your card/s. Thank you for your support.

Martin Renshaw Membership Secretary

Art and Freedom: Nick Nelson 17/05/21 10.30 am Venue: Online Talk Cost per person: £5 Much great art has been created during individual or more public bids for freedom; such art liberates the artist from the shackles of mimesis. The advent of photography in the mid-nineteenth century prompted Paul Delaroche to declare “From now on all art is dead,” yet Edvard Munch’s retort was that “The camera will never compete with the palette or the brush until such time as photographs can be taken in heaven or hell.” Thus, as per the Vienna Secessionists’ modernist mantra: “To the age its art, to art its freedom.” From Sir John Everett Millais’ ‘The Order of Release’ (1852-3) to Yves Klein’s photographic masterpiece, ‘Leap into the Void’ (1960), Nick Nelson will explore the fascinating theme of art and freedom in this talk, especially relevant at a time when freedom from lockdown is almost tangible. Nick is Head of History of Art at Cheltenham College where he teaches Art, History of Art, Architecture, English, Classical Civilisation, Theology, Philosophy & Ethics and Music. He lectures on a wide range of topics from the Renaissance to Modernism, with a special interest in forging links between art, music and literature.

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Events

Herbert Ponting: Scott’s Antarctic Photographer and Pioneer Filmmaker: Anne Strathie 21/06/21 10.30am

Highnam Court & The Holy Innocents Church, Gloucester

Venue: Online Talk Cost per person: £5 In 1909, in London, Salisbury-born Herbert Ponting was recruited by Captain Scott to record, in photographs and on film, his second Antarctic expedition, one in which Cheltenham’s Edward Wilson would play a leading role. During May and June 1911, in the sunless depths of Antarctica’s winter, Ponting showed his companions images not only of Antarctica, but of Japan, India, China and other places he had worked as a photographer and journalist. Ponting, one of the most widely travelled of Scott’s expedition team, had initially worked as a bank-clerk in Liverpool before emigrating to post-Gold Rush California where, after several years ranching and mining, he became a professional photographer. In Antarctica, Ponting and Edward Wilson regularly worked on the same subjects, discussing the challenges they faced, praising each other’s work, learning from each other. While Wilson travelled to the South Pole, Ponting remained behind, filming the wildlife and ice formations which were the basis of the expedition’s scientific legacy. Anne’s new biography of Ponting is her third book about members of the Terra Nova expedition, and in this talk she will talk about Ponting’s wide-ranging travels, achievements and about the man behind the camera. See page 18 for a review of Anne’s book.

24/06/21 Tour by coach Pick-up points: Sixways (outside Co-op) 11:00, Royal Well Coach Station 11:10, Westall Green 11:20 Group Leaders: Sue Reeves and Martha Alleguen Cost per person: £30 We are very fortunate to have been given the opportunity of a talk on Highnam Court together with a tour of the Music, Dining and Gold Rooms on the ground floor. A sandwich lunch, including homemade cakes and tea/ coffee, will be served in the Orangery, after which we will have at least an hour to explore the wonderful gardens and enjoy the roses at our own pace. Please note that disabled access is limited due to gravel paths and stairs into the Orangery. At 15:00 we will be driven round to The Holy Innocents Church for a private 45-minute guided tour. The craftsmanship throughout the church is exceptional and includes stunning windows and wall paintings. Do bring a cardigan! Our coach will then depart about 16:15. Highnam Court was built in 1658 after the original house was seriously damaged in the Civil War. The design is linked to Ernest Carter who was a pupil of Inigo Jones. The Highnam Estate was bought in 1838 by Thomas Gambier Parry, an accomplished

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Events artist, musician and art collector. He started to lay out his garden in 1840, and by 1874 it rivalled any in the UK. Unfortunately, almost nothing had been done in the gardens since the turn of the last century and when Roger Head became the owner in 1994, the gardens were totally overgrown. Since then, they have been totally and lovingly restored to their former glory, with many new additions made to enhance the original design. As one of the most significant Victorian churches in the country, The Holy Innocents Church Highnam is a Grade I Listed Building. It was commissioned by Thomas Gambier Parry and consecrated in 1851. The architecture is gothic revival style, and the church is decorated throughout with frescoes painted by Parry. His son Hubert inherited the estate and is best remembered for his musical setting for Blake’s poem Jerusalem and much other memorable church music.

he was one of the founders of Tewkesbury Battlefield Society, which complemented the Medieval Festival by promoting a better understanding of the historical context and the people involved. Instead of a narrow interest in conflict, Steve’s insatiable curiosity and wider interest in both European and local history has led him to look for the battle’s root causes rather than those conventionally quoted. He is also the author of Tewkesbury: Eclipse of the House of Lancaster, 1471. The talk will outline the events that led the two armies to battle in Tewkesbury and to its uncompromising outcome. In doing so, it will consider the political structure which led both the gentry and commoners of England to leave the security of their homes and risk their lives for a cause which must have been very obscure to them

The Battle of Tewkesbury: Steve Goodchild

The Story of Tewkesbury Abbey: John Jeffreys

05/07/21 10.30am

13/09/21 Due to current uncertainties and our hope that this will be an in person talk, booking will not open until June.

Venue: Online Talk Cost per person: £5 The year 2021 is an exceptional year for Tewkesbury as it marks the 900th anniversary of the consecration of Tewkesbury Abbey and the 550th of the Battle of Tewkesbury, the most decisive of the Wars of the Roses. A long-term resident of Tewkesbury, Steve Goodchild was involved in the first reenactment of the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1984, being beheaded at the end, and has been present at every one since. In 1997,

In 2021, Tewkesbury celebrates the 900th anniversary of the consecration of Tewkesbury Abbey. The present Abbey was founded in 1102 to house Benedictine monks and was near completion when consecrated in 1121. Sir Nikolaus Pevsner, the famous art scholar, described how Tewkesbury Abbey quietly dominates the land and skyline with its long nave and tower, “probably the largest and finest Romanesque tower in England”.

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Events The Abbey’s social importance and influence can still be seen in the layout of Tewkesbury’s streets and buildings, including the Abbot’s Gatehouse, the Abbey Mill, The Vicarage and the Tudor-style dwellings in Church Street. John Jeffreys will talk about the Abbey, its history and how the events of the last 900 years have influenced what we see before us now.

‘Jewels in the Crown’: Sezincote and Chipping Campden 21/09/21 Tour by coach Pick-up points: Evesham Road, (Pump Room bus stop townbound) 09:10*, Royal Well Coach Station 09:20, Six Ways (by St Edwards School) 09:30 * at time of printing, there is free parking at Pittville Pump rooms (about a 2-minute walk) as well as unrestricted street parking in residential roads off Evesham Road near to the bus stop.

Group Leaders: Martha Alleguen and Adrian Barlow Cost per person: £38 Charles Cockerell, who served with the East India Company in Bengal, inherited Sezincote from his brother John in 1798. Charles, later Sir Charles, employed his own brother, Samuel Pepys Cockerell, as an architect to construct a new house and garden on the estate, using the elaborate palaces of Rajasthan as a blueprint. Cockerell had already been employed to create the nearby estate of Daylesford, but here he was encouraged to create an extravagant house in the Mogul style, with a

central dome and minaret, set off in a formal arrangement with a curving orangery and canal garden. The house was used by architect John Nash as a model for the Brighton Pavilion after a visit by the Prince of Wales in 1807. It is thought that Sezincote is the only Mogul building that survives in Western Europe. Friends of the Wilson will enjoy a private tour of the house, with time to wander through the no less impressive gardens, including the canals and Irish yews of the South Garden, a curving conservatory and all the exceptionally fine planting of the water garden where many rare plants can be seen. Please be advised that the garden contains the normal hazards you would expect of a ravine garden with a stream and pools. There are steep banks that become slippery when wet, unfenced pool sides, stepping stones, and uneven stone slab bridges over the stream. Toilets are available. It is unlikely that refreshments will be available on site. Please feel free to bring your own drinks. A short onward journey takes us to Chipping Campden. Frequently described as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the Cotswolds, this is also one of the best-preserved and most historically significant towns in the area due to its association with wool and wealth. The town is also important to the history of the Arts & Crafts Movement as many artists and designers took up residence around 1900. After free time for lunch and exploration, we will split into two groups to visit Court Barn Museum for a talk and to view their current exhibition (to be advised). Court Barn Museum celebrates the Arts and Crafts movement and is home to the C.R. Ashbee’s Guild of Handicraft archive. Facilities: A spacious shop selling books, cards and work by local craftsmen and toilets. No cafe, but there are many good eating places nearby. We will depart Chipping Campden at about 16.30.

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Events & Exhibitions

Holst Victorian House

Events and Exhibitions Please check websites. The Wilson Online Exhibitions Artists in THEIR Residence – The Three of Us Artists in THEIR Residence – Rizpah Amadasun Artists in THEIR Residence – Hannah Whyte Artists in THEIR Residence – Soozy Roberts Sisterhood Colour-ways HUMANKIND The Virtual Memory Lane Cafe

Holst Victorian House

The Holburne Museum, Bath 17 May – 1 August Precious and Rare Islamic Metalwork from the Courtauld

The Holst Birthplace Museum (4 Clarence Road) is undergoing an exciting transformation into the Holst Victorian House (HVH). HVH is the only Victorian home in Cheltenham open to the public. The aim is to broaden the appeal to visitors, immersing them in the experience of stepping back in time to be among the residents of a Victorian home, all whilst retaining the attraction for those interested in Holst and his music. We hope very much to welcome (back) Friends of The Wilson.

17 May – 30 August Nicholas Pope: Portraits of a Marriage 17 May – 5 September Canaletto: Painting Venice Online (17 May – 8 September) Thomas Lawrence Coming of Age Victoria Art Gallery, Bath 18 May – 30 June Kurt Jackson: Biodiversity 10 July – 19 September An Unholy trinity: Lucian Freud, John Minton and Adrian Ryan John Eaves: 50 years Bristol Museum & Art Gallery 18 May – 3 January 2022 Bristol Photo Festival 26 June – 31 October Vanguard | Bristol Street Art: The evolution of a global movement Swindon Museum & Art Gallery Online Exhibitions Modern British Art: A Story Big Hitters: Significant Artists in the Swindon Collection Pop and Prosperity: 1960s British Art from the Swindon Collection

Phase 1 – later this year, dependent on the easing of social restrictions – will see new interpretative material, a redesigned website, a changed visitor pathway through the house, a formal launch and Victorian-themed events. There will be a new film telling the story of the house in 10 objects and another setting the house in context. Look out for more details in the September newsletter. Phase 2 – planned for next year – will involve physical changes to rooms, period lighting and authentic ‘soundscapes’. Information boards will be replaced by an audio-visual guide accessible on phone or tablet. To keep in touch with developments, events etc. follow us on Twitter or Facebook (@ HolstMuseum) or visit www.holstmuseum.org.uk.

Martin Renshaw

(on behalf of the Trustees of the Holst Birthplace Trust)

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Where to Visit

Where to Visit – Castle Howard Lovers of historic houses will have looked past the costumes, jewels, gossip, social climbing, mystery know-it-all and writhing flesh on display in Bridgerton to see that the Duke of Hastings’ Castle Clyveden is actually Castle Howard in North Yorkshire. In 2002, a Time Team episode tried to discover traces of the old settlement of Henderskelf that had been demolished to make way for the castle. Creation of Castle Howard started in 1699 when the 3rd Earl of Carlisle enlisted as designer his friend, dramatist John Vanbrugh. This was an early example of ‘cronyism’ as Vanbrugh had never built anything before. However, Vanbrugh had the good sense to recruit Nicholas Hawksmoor to assist him, and by 1811, construction was complete! The famously asymmetric appearance is due to a Palladian wing being added to Vanbrugh’s Baroque vision and Castle Howard is the only stately home in England to have a dome. The estate has a thousand-acre park featuring two lakes, a Prince of Wales Fountain, the Temple of Four Winds and a Walled Garden and was even serviced by its own railway station from 1845 to the mid-1950s.

swept through the house into the Great Hall, destroying the dome. The Howard family were determined to rebuild the house and to live in it again. The dome was finally completed in 1962. In conjunction with the filming of the TV serial, Brideshead Revisited, in 1981, the Garden Hall was rebuilt. It is believed that Evelyn Waugh based Brideshead Castle on Castle Howard, which he visited in 1937. The 2008 film was also shot at Castle Howard.

The Chapel was built during the 18th century and was originally intended to be a dining room. In 1870, it was reconstructed and redesigned in a preRaphaelite style with designs created by William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones. Eight generations of the Howard family have since occupied Castle Howard. During the Second World War, Castle Howard became a girls’ school. In November 1940, a fire broke out and

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Figure by a River

Then there are the houses. They remind me of the colourful houses in parts of Bristol – Redcliffe Parade for example – you’ll have better ideas. As I continue looking, I see that the roofs of the houses also have a white outline. Like the man’s outline. I have the same questions for the houses. When you stand in front of the painting – it’s in the Friends’ Gallery – you can see how thick the paint is. It’s almost sculpture – something that doesn’t come across in a paper copy. The thick paint makes the whole thing feel more intense.

Favourite Works of Art: Figure by a River by Hugh Gerard Byers It feels spooky – it feels strange. Whenever I see this painting, I feel compelled to stop and look, and immediately I feel a sense of strangeness. There is one figure in the painting. Only one. No sign of anybody else; no lights in the windows; no movement on the river; no living thing at all apart from the lone man. He’s surrounded by a white outline. An aura? A protection? A barrier? Is he an outcast? Does he feel isolated and lonely? Or perhaps he’s happy to have the town to himself and is enjoying having the space. The dark sky with the moon – or is it the sun with dark clouds? Is it night or day? And is the sky threatening doom, or is it peaceful and calming? Is it a weight hanging over the man – or is his mind having a dark vision?

So many questions.

John Beard This article can also be found on the ‘Art works’ page of our website: www. friendsofthewilson.org.uk along with similar articles and links to view and search The Wilson’s collections online.

New Members

New Members We welcome the following members who have recently joined the Friends:

Gordon and Fiona Busbridge Vanessa and Simon Milner Sabine Orton Martin and Julia Wilson

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Works on Paper

and Drawings Department at the British Museum. Cheltenham, in times past, had a long Gallery (Gallery 13) which housed and displayed works on paper. In recent years the new Paper Store Gallery has provided good, but very limited, display facilities for works from the Art Collection.

Cheltenham’s Works on Paper Collection The Wilson has many treasures, amongst which is the Works on Paper Collection. Like many of the larger regional art galleries, Cheltenham has a large collection of well over 2000 works categorised as works of art on paper. It also has an extensive collection of drawings and designs on paper as part of the arts and crafts collection and another extensive collection which relates to social and local history, all categories that often overlap. Regrettably, most works on paper collections are largely unknown, and that includes Cheltenham’s collection. In the past some of the larger galleries had ‘Print Rooms’ where there were regularly changing displays of works on paper Leeds, Bradford, and Birmingham are ones I know. Works on paper are fragile and require light, temperature, and humidity control, and often the only solution is to simply lock them all away. Some galleries have introduced island display cases in public gallery areas which house regularly changing displays with examples being Bath and Bristol and, of course, that wonderful Prints

The term ‘Works on Paper’ literally means any drawings, designs, sketches, watercolour and tempera paintings, and prints, on paper. Such works are tremendously important as they reference collections internationally, nationally, and locally. For instance, Cheltenham’s watercolour work by J.M.W. Turner, as a stroppy youngster, of the Avon Gorge is important in appreciating the historical context of a famous British artist. Similarly, Cheltenham holds many pencil studies by Edward Armitage, including for University Hall (a residential hall for University College London, of which the Slade School was part), the exterior frieze of the Albert Hall and several London churches, helping us to understand the importance of mural painting in Victorian Britain. Such studies remind us that Armitage and his generation of the nineteenth century were continuing the great Renaissance tradition that started in Italy centuries earlier, setting a ‘classic’ or ‘academic’ standard for European art. The great chronicler of the Italian Renaissance is Giorgio Vasari, himself a painter, and Cheltenham has a sketch attributed to that great man. The importance of printmaking is also evidenced in the Cheltenham collection by etchings, engravings and woodcuts ranging from seventeenth century Dutch painters to those from the great print revival in Britain in the early twentieth century, including by artists like

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Works on Paper

Gustav von Holst

Stanley Anderson, and onwards to the international print revival of the second half of the century. These works are valuable source material for art historians, artists, and social historians worldwide, as well as locally and nationally. We ignore and neglect them at our peril. David Addison was Director of Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum in the 1970s. Read more at www.addisonart.co.uk. Cook’s Folly, River Avon, Bristol by Joseph Mallord William Turner (c1791) (© The Cheltenham Trust / Cheltenham Borough Council) Sketch of figures for mural at University Hall by Edward Armitage (© The Cheltenham Trust / Cheltenham Borough Council)

Gustav von Holst and his brother Theodore This portrait of Holst’s grandfather, Gustavus (seated) is also a self-portrait of his great uncle, Theodore von Holst (1810-1844), an artist who achieved some fame in his short career: he was the first illustrator of Mary Shelley’s revised edition of Frankenstein (1831) and his work had considerable influence on the early Pre-Raphaelites. He also caught the eye of one of the leading English connoisseurs and art collectors of the 19th century. John Rushout, 2nd Baron Northwick, added two of Theodore’s paintings to his collection of European art in Cheltenham. In 1848 Dante Gabriel Rossetti came to Thirlestaine House to admire von Holst’s painting, The Fortune Teller, which Lord Northwick had just acquired. Gustav von Holst and his Brother Theodore (painted in the mid 1830s) is a strange

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Gustav von Holst and his brother Theodore

Lord Northwick’s Picture Gallery at Thirlestaine House, (Cheltenham, where the portrait of Gustavus and his brother Theodore von Holst was originally exhibited.) Artist: Robert Huskisson, between 1846-7; © Yale Centre for British Art

and unnerving double portrait. Although painted in England – the family had left the Baltic state of Latvia in the early 1800s – it offers strong hints of German Romanticism. Gustavus leans heavily against the arm of a chaise longue, with head against his hand; he wears soft leather boots, a loose bottle-green coat with a dull red lining and the collar of his shirt flops over the shoulder of his coat. His hair billows back from his forehead, like Beethoven’s or Schiller’s. His pallor, accentuated by the loose white collar of his shirt, his sharp-eyed though inward gaze, the quill pen resting in an inkpot near his elbow and the Grecian harp half in shadow behind him – all these suggest an introspective individual accustomed to an indoor life. By contrast, Theodore (though 10 years younger) appears as a disturbing presence looming over the seated Gustavus. Standing behind the chaise longue, he wears an arresting salmon pink gown, with a leather belt at the waist; his hair, unlike his brother’s, falls heavily across the side of his face 14

while his beard, his aquiline nose and his shaded eyes all point intently down towards the back and shoulders of his brother. The gaze and posture of Theodore towards Gustavus create a sense of unease, an unease heightened when we realise that the artist is clutching a riding crop, from the silver handle of which springs a curious ivory creature, some kind of albino imp perhaps. In every way, the artist has chosen to define himself and his brother by the differences between them; not by their similarities – there are none. A conversation piece this isn’t. The picture was eventually inherited by Gustav Holst, the composer whose name is always associated with Cheltenham, and in 1964 it was given to Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum by the composer’s daughter, Imogen. At present, however, it hangs not in The Wilson but, more appropriately, in The Holst Birthplace Museum.

Adrian Barlow

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Reviews we were shown a view of the two separate avenues built for the different sorts of folk promenading at Tunbridge. Cheltenham itself became a fashionable spa, with visits by George III in 1788 and the Prince Regent in 1806 enhancing its appeal and popularity.

Architecture and Planning of LateGeorgian Spa Towns 18/01/21 Geoffrey Tyack gave a very interesting talk taking us through the history of spa towns, including Bath, Scarborough, Tunbridge Wells, Clifton, Leamington Spa, Harrogate and of course, Cheltenham. He illustrated how the “Spa Experience” of taking the waters, fresh air exercise, socialisation and shopping influenced the development of the towns that grew up around the spas.

Montpellier with its splendid Rotunda, Pittville with its imposing Pump Room, fine residential buildings and open spaces, and the Queens Hotel (one of the first really important hotel buildings in the country) all attracted visitors to the town and remain places we still enjoy today. For more information on its growth, Geoffrey recommended Gwen Hart’s History of Cheltenham.

Kathy Gilden Promenade from Colonnade, Cheltenham by Ltd. Valentine & Sons (1905) (© The Cheltenham Trust / Cheltenham Borough Council)

Lodging houses were built for visitors and attractive arcades of shops sprung up. Avenues, public gardens and open spaces catered for promenading in the healthy and life enhancing environment. The competitive wellness tourism trade of its time was born! Spa towns were developed by private entrepreneurs with sympathetic town councils, and service industries grew up and more mundane housing for its employees was built in addition to the elegant Regency terraces. Geoffrey pointed out that social division and exclusiveness existed in our spa towns. Visitors came partly to find a cure for ailments and also for a pleasant place to go and enjoy themselves, with the right sort of people. “Harrogate enjoys absolute immunity from the ordinary tripper” was a quoted statement and

Arthur Cameron: A “Reformed Cockney in Arcadia”? 22/02/21 It was no great surprise that this online lecture was supported with such enthusiasm by over sixty Friends and others. The intriguing title

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Reviews and distinguished speaker were clearly a winning combination. Mary Greensted, a Trustee of the Guild of Handicrafts and author of several books on the Arts and Craft movement, illustrated her talk with rare, sepia photos of Chipping Camden in the early 1900s and members of the forty strong community of craftsmen. Her talk was based upon three sources: her archival research at Court Barn, a book The Day is Coming, a fictional story written by Arthur’s son, William, loosely based upon his life and a long letter written from William to Arthur (now held in the William Russell Museum). Arthur Cameron was born in The East End of London in 1871, then an area of extreme deprivation that attracted the attention of social reformers. Socialism was gaining momentum and men like William Morris and John Ruskin were challenging the damaging effects of industrialisation and the low status of the decorative arts. Charles Robert Ashbee, architect and designer, gave practical leadership to the movement by establishing the Guild and School of Handicrafts in 1888. By 1890, his fledgling, his fifty strong craftworkshop had moved to Essex House in the Mile End Road. Here the Guild specialised in metal working, jewellery-making and enamelled work, as well as decorative copper and wrought iron items. Apprentices served for seven years under the supervision of a senior craftsman, acquiring the essential metal working skills of soldering, enamelling, annealing and repousee. Arthur was initially employed as an office boy, but Ashbee quickly recognised his potential and, in 1891, he joined the craftsmen at their benches. The workshop operated as a cooperative, with the craftsmen eating together and socialising but accepting a strict code of conduct. Apparently, Arthur’s Cockney ways and bad language were not appreciated, and he was excluded for a time. In other respects, he was

recognised as a special talent and produced some excellent work, a good example being his copper, patinated and signed Charger in the keeping of The Wilson. Arthur epitomised Ashbee’s vision of the keen, unskilled worker who, otherwise, would have followed the traditional route which would have neutered his creative talent. For Arthur and his colleagues, a dramatic change in their lives and environment occurred with the relocation of the workshop in 1902 from the grim conditions of the East End to the idyllic Chipping Camden. They were allocated pretty cottages and warmly welcomed by a sympathetic community, many of whom became patrons. It is interesting to speculate how much they must have benefited artistically from this rural idyll (Arcadia). Although the enterprise made a promising start, it was not sustained and dissolved in 1907. Several of the craftsmen, including Arthur, remained and continued their work but eventually he, too, returned to the East End with his wife and three children. Arthur found employment in the various jewellery workshops in the area, but trade suffered in the post-war slump. Jobless and then evicted, the family found themselves in the worst possible circumstances as Arthur ‘s wife and children were taken in by a workhouse and Arthur began rough sleeping. A contemporary report said he had the appearance of a skeleton. Arthur’s life had ‘moved full circle’: from East End poverty to fulfilment of his creative talent, the establishment of a family and their happy existence in the Cotswolds to, finally, perdition and abject misery. Despite this unhappy outcome, Arthur Cameron and his craftsmen colleagues have left us with a wonderful record and legacy of the Arts and Craft movement.

Malcolm Lomas Copper repousse charger by Arthur Cameron (1892) (© The Cheltenham Trust / Cheltenham Borough Council)

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Reviews of them. We also heard of the Esperance Club in the East End of London and the English Folk Dance Society formed by Cecil Sharp. It all sounded rather good fun with some political goings on as well. Martin illustrated his talk with some lovely old photographs and Shan played some of the folk melodies on a pipe. Gloucestershire songs can be found on the GlosTrad website at www.glostrad.com/. We all miss the personal contact of talks and lectures and thank you Martin for brightening up a day otherwise spent alone at home.

Arts and Crafts: Folk Song and Dance

Clair Chilvers

08/03/21 On a lovely March Day I sat in my own sitting room to hear Martin Graebe talk about arts and crafts, folk song and dance. The early twentieth-century folk song revival was the focus of this talk and Martin had set his sights on a 10-mile radius of Cirencester Parish Church. It was serendipitous that 8 March was also International Women’s Day as this was a story of ‘women power’. The women in question were Laura Swannick (educated at the Ladies’ College under Dorothea Beale), Maud Karpoles and Emily Gimson. Mrs Swannick trained as a teacher and moved to Coates where she held dancing classes for local children, as did Mrs Gimson, wife of the Arts and Crafts Movement designer Ernest Gimson, in Sapperton. We heard of the Folk Song Collectors, including Alfred Williams a self-taught railwayman, who cycled 13,000 miles to collect 800 songs, the American James Maddison Carpenter who wisely bought a car for his travels, and Cecil Sharp who published five volumes of Folk Songs, although few from the 10-mile radius that Martin had set himself. These songs related largely to a lost golden age and it is to my mind a loss to us that we do not hear more

The five-light East window of St. Mary’s Church, Prestbury, depicting the Nativity. This arts and crafts window was designed by an artist with strong Cotswold connections. Please see Art Quiz Question 9, p.22.

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Book Review

Ponting was the official photographer and filmmaker of the expedition, and the first professional photographer to travel to Antarctica and take images. Ponting started life following his father into banking, but soon realised such a sedentary life wasn’t for him and travelled to America where he ended up buying a fruit farm and marrying an American. He’d always been a keen photographer and now began to show his work, soon embarking on a new career as a freelance photographer, travelling the world and gaining a reputation for his expertise. On the basis of this reputation, Scott recruited him as his official photographer, and although the expedition ended in disaster, we have Ponting’s photographs and films as a lasting record, work he spent the rest of his life promoting. Strathie’s research for her book is impressive indeed.

Book Review- Herbert Ponting: Scott’s Antarctic Photographer and Pioneer Filmmaker by Anne Strathie Captain Scott’s name is well known of course, and his expedition to the South Pole the stuff of legend, but the names of the team who made it all possible perhaps are not so familiar. Author Anne Strathie’s books explore some of these lesser-known men, starting with the youngest member, Birdie Bowers, in her first book, Harry Pennell the navigator in the second and now Herbert Ponting (18701935) in the third.

Ponting was a private man, and we have no diaries and few letters, but the author has left no stone unturned to discover as much as possible. The result is a wonderfully comprehensive and detailed biography of a pioneering image and film maker, and camera enthusiasts will no doubt find especial delight in the details of Ponting’s camera and film equipment. The book is lavishly illustrated, and the notes demonstrate what a serious piece of research the book is. But it is also extremely readable and accessible, and a compelling exploration of a man, his times and his work.

Mandy Jenkinson Herbert Ponting: Scott’s Antarctic Photographer and Pioneer Filmmaker (The History Press) is available locally (including signed copies) from Cheltenham’s Suffolk Anthology (https:// theanthology.co.uk/, suffolkanthology@gmail. com), from other independent bookshops and Waterstones.

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Artists in THEIR Residence

Artists in THEIR Residence Due to the coronavirus pandemic, The Wilson’s usual practice of inviting a local artist to take over a gallery as an artist in residence has been interrupted and replaced with a virtual programme. The Artists in THEIR Residence project has given a platform to six local artists, themselves affected by the pandemic in different ways, allowing each to reach new audiences in the safety of their own homes or studios. Each virtual residency was funded by the Arts Council England Emergency Support Fund and is available to view on The Wilson’s website.

Rizpah Amadasun6 February– 28th February 2021 www.cheltenhammuseum.org.uk/event/ artists-in-their-residence-rizpah-amadasun/ During her residency, Rizpah Amadasun aimed to produce work representing positive Black British narratives, pushing for Anglo African and Caribbean identities to be recognised in mainstream spaces. Highlights include body art inspired by African wax fabric, a series of paintings depicting Black love, including one of a couple laughing and the other a father and baby, and portraits celebrating Black figures in British history. You can read an interview with Rizpah in the previous newsletter.

Hannah Whyte8 March- 4 April 2021 www.cheltenhammuseum.org.uk/event/ artists-in-their-residence-hannah-whyte/

The Three of Us1 November 2020- 31 January 2021 www.cheltenhammuseum.org.uk/event/ artists-in-their-residence-the-three-of-us/ A collaboration between Rob Mackie, Emily Lawlor and Ally Goff, The Three of Us focuses on survival as a theme, with all three artists stressing the connections between art and mental and physical health. The residency used clay, mosaic, paint and drawing to produce several interesting pieces, including miniature galleries and decorated emergency blankets.

Hannah Whyte is a Cheltenham-based artist and writer, passionate about social history and storytelling, who used drawing, writing, music and storytelling to explore the fascinating history and folklore of Leckhampton Hill during her residency. It asked a series of interesting questions, including ‘what does art look like when it isn’t nailed to a museum wall?’

Soozy Roberts5 April 2021- 2 May 2021 www.cheltenhammuseum.org.uk/event/ artists-in-their-residence-soozy-roberts/ Having exhibited widely, including in Cheltenham’s Hardwick Gallery and Bristol’s Arnolfini, Soozy Roberts work aims to explore memories, collective histories, nostalgia and relationships. Her residency is entitled ‘WHY WALK WHEN YOU CAN RUN’ and explores family, memory, grief and community, inspired by the life of her father.

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Artists in THEIR Residence

Overall, each residency explored a range of interesting and thought-provoking themes. Each was interspersed with heart-warming stories, including the surprise of Rizpah’s cousin handdelivering an architect’s drawing table before a nightshift at Coventry Hospital or the detail of Soozy’s late father’s extensive handkerchief collection. I enjoyed the introductions to each studio and the process, story and explanation behind each work, further glimpses behind the curtain you wouldn’t see in a typical exhibition. Of course, this all-digital programme can never entirely replace a real-life museum or gallery experience. However, it will be interesting to see upon reopening how cultural institutions fuse such digital innovation with the four-walls of a physical space.

Save the Date

Kathleen Scott: Portrait sculpture of Dr Edward Adrian Wilson; (detail, 1914) the Promenade, Cheltenham. Photo credit: Adrian Barlow Please see Art Quiz, Number 11, p.22.

Save The Date! Thursday 7th October 2021 6pm The Trustees invite all Friends of The Wilson to a Reception in The Pump Room (by arrangement with The Cheltenham Trust), to celebrate our being able to meet together again in a live gathering. We hope to introduce not only the Friends’ programme of talks and events for 2022 but also details of The Wilson’s own reopening and the special programme of events and exhibitions to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Dr Edward Adrian Wilson. Guest speaker: Loyd Grossman

Alex Boulton

Further details and information about booking will be published online and in the June News Update.

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From the Archives

Art Quiz

From the Archives: Ten years ago, the Spring 2011 issue (No. 102) of the Newsletter announced the Friends’ planned Summer Fete to be held at Highnam Court, just like this year’s summer event. What goes around comes around! “Friends’ Summer Fete at Highnam Court 21 August 2011 A Day Out for All the Family Friends are urged to put this important date in their diaries. It will be the Friends’ major public event this year to raise funds for the Extension to the Art gallery and Museum for which a sum of £900K is still needed. The owner of Highnam Court has most generously agreed to allow the Friends to organise a real Family Fun Day on Sunday 21 August. The Working Party involved with the planning has already booked the Cheltenham Silver Band and there will be a Pig Roast for Friends to feast on. Highnam Church, with its unique painted interior, will be open for visits. There will be a variety of things for children to take part in such as a sculpture trail, face painting and ‘plant potting’. Apart from the glorious and extensive gardens there will be attractions for visitors to enjoy along with afternoon tea, various stalls and of course listening to the Silver Band. Friends will appreciate that to arrange this enjoyable day for everybody a good deal of organisation is involved and it would be appreciated if as many Friends as possible could offer their help on the day – men in particular! Willing helpers please contact ….”

Art Quiz Since the beginning of Lockdown last year, our Newsletters and the monthly News Updates have included an art quiz, relating either to a picture or item from The Wilson’s collections or to a sculpture or work of art to be seen in Cheltenham itself while The Wilson remains closed. To find the answers to each quiz question, visit the Friends of The Wilson website and click on the links under ‘Latest News’. You will also find discussion of most of the images referred to in the Quiz by clicking on ARTWORKS on our website’s main Menu. Question 7: This small portrait, An Old Woman Singing, is attributed on the Art UK website to Gerrit Dou (1613-1675). It comes from the collection given to Cheltenham in 1898 by its MP and Mayor, Baron de Ferrières, to establish an art gallery in the town. Dou is one of only three artists identified as a pupil of Rembrandt, and the Young Rembrandt exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford includes two paintings on which master and pupil are known to have worked together. In which Dutch city was Gerrit Dou born? a) Amsterdam b) Delft c) Gouda d) Leiden Question 8: The new Community Art Gallery in The Wilson (to be created on the mezzanine floor above the café) has been funded by

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Art Quiz

a generous bequest from the Charles Irving Charitable Trust. There is apparently no portrait of Charles Irving in The Wilson’s collections; however, the town does possess a sculpted bronze head of the late MP. This is on display in one of Cheltenham’s most important buildings. Which one? a) The Pittville Pump Room b) The Town Hall c) The Library d) The Municipal Offices Question 9: One of the finest Arts and Crafts windows depicting the Nativity is the East window of St Mary’s Church, Prestbury.

Question 11: Where in Britain can you find Kathleen Scott’s 8ft. high statue of another Englishman celebrated for his fortitude in adversity: Edward John Smith, Captain of the Titanic? (a) Liverpool b) Leicester c) Lowestoft d) Lichfield Photo Credits

Page 6 - Ponting lecturing at Cape Evans, with Japanese photograph on screen (From Scott’s Last Expedition, © A. Strathie) Highnam Court, Gloucester (© mattbuck https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highnam_Court #/media/ File:Highnam_Court_MMB_08.jpg (CC BY-SA 3.0))

Who was the Arts and Crafts artist who designed this window? a) Christopher Whall b) Henry Payne c) Margaret Edith Rope d) James Eadie Reid

Page 7 - Re-enactment at the Tewkesbury Medieval Festival (© Antony Stanley www.en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Battle_of_Tewkesbury#/media /File:Battle_of_ Tewkesbury_reenactment_-_fighting_while_arrows_fly. jpg (CC BY-SA 2.0))

Question 10: Zutphen features in the annals of English history as the location of a battle in 1586 in which a celebrated Elizabethan courtier and soldier was fatally wounded.

Page 10 - Atlas Fountain at Castle Howard (© Geir Hval www.commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:Atlas_Fountain_Castle_Howard_(2011.10.18).jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0))

Who was he? a) Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester b) Sir Philip Sidney c) Sir Walter Raleigh d) Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex

Tewkesbury Abbey (© Saffron Blaze www. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tewkesbury_Abbey #/media/ File:Tewkesbury_Abbey_2011.jpg (CC BY-SA 3.0))

Page 2 & 11 - Figure by a River by Hugh Gerard Byers (1990-2000) (© The Cheltenham Trust / Cheltenham Borough Council) Page 2 & 13 - Gustav von Holst and His Brother, Theodore by Theodor Matthias von Holst (c.1835) (© The Cheltenham Trust / Cheltenham Borough Council) Page 22 - An Old Woman Singing by Gerrit Dou (c.1660-1676) (© The Cheltenham Trust / Cheltenham Borough Council)

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Contacts

CONTACTS

Presient

Cover photo: Sir John Rushout (later 2nd Lord Northwick) by Angelika Kauffmann (1794)

PJ Crook

Chair Adrian Barlow (01242 515192) chair@friendsofthewilson.org.uk

Deadline for the next issue: 25 July 2021 Please send everything to editor@friendsofthewilson.org.uk

Secretary John Beard (01242 514059) secretary@friendsofthewilson.org.uk

Treasurer Liz Giles (01242 224773) treasurer@friendsofthewilson.org.uk

Membership Secretary Martin Renshaw (07748 901194) membership@friendsofthewilson.org.uk

Cheltenham Trust Liaison Jaki Davis (07747 795709) jaki.meekingsdavis@hotmail.com

Talks Organiser Sue Pearce (01242 522467) sue.pearce@blueyonder.co.uk

Collections David Addison (01242 238905) davidaddison10@btinternet.com

Volunteer Liaison Robert Rimell (07858 007852) rimell@me.com

Newsletter Mailing Sue Reeves (01242 675497) sue.reeves39@gmail.com

Events Bookings Alison Pascoe (01242 519413) Martha Alleguen (01242 526601) events@friendsofthewilson.org.uk

Newsletter Editors Alex Boulton Hannah Tandy editor@friendsofthewilson.org.uk

The Wilson, Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum Clarence Street, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 3JT 01242 237431 artgallery@cheltenhamtrust.org.uk www.cheltenhammuseum.org.uk Friends of The Wilson, Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum Registered charity number 289514 www.friendsofthewilson.org.uk queries@friendsofthewilson.org.uk editor@friendsofthewilson.org.uk

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