ART AT RGS –THE EARLY YEARS BRYAN STEVENS

ART AT RGS THE EARLY YEARS

BY BRYAN STEVENS (44-49)

Bryan Stevens is a retired lawyer, past President of the ONA and has maintained an unique link with the school as a frequent contributor to these pages. As well as his authoritative History of Cricket at the RGS, he wrote the invaluable School Register in 1955. More recently, he published a volume of his own poems, Laughter and Reflection, his first collection at 87 years old, drawing inspiration from Northumberland’s history, natural beauty and his childhood memories in Tynedale. Bryan records here a brief overview of early art at RGS.

Through most of its history, there is little sign that Art featured significantly in the life of the school, though that seems to have changed in more recent years, when excellent exhibitions of artwork have been mounted. But in my time, Art was only compulsory in the three lowest forms, after which it was dropped except for the ‘C’ stream. However, a few ONs have made their mark in the artworld, often inspired by good teaching.

In the 18th Century, drawing and painting was often thought of as a desirable accomplishment for young ladies. For boys, schools of standing introduced ‘drawing masters’ from the late 18th Century. At Eton, Alexander Cozens was allowed to teach drawing on the curious grounds that, as an illegitimate son of Peter the Great, he might help raise the tone of the school. Drawing in boys’ schools was for long treated as an ‘extra’, for which parents were charged. RGS was at a low ebb for much of the 19th Century and until 1870, short of accommodation and so the first recorded Art master was JC Watson (1876-1919), an accomplished painter, appointed 1876, retired 1919 (the longest staff career in the history of the school).

But the first known ON in the field had appeared much earlier. Michael Bryan (1757-1821) was not an artist but a connoisseur, who became a nationally recognised authority on the pictures of the 1780s, acting in the sale and purchase of artworks by the aristocracy. In 1801, he received the King’s permission to search in Paris for such works as he thought worth bringing to England. His Biographical and Critical Dictionary of Painters and Engravers (in two parts) appeared in 1813-16. New and enlarged editions appeared until 1903.

George Gray (1758-1819) was a geologist and botanist, as well as an artist, making his name in Newcastle as a portraitist and painter of fruit. The most eminent artist to date was William Nicholson RA (17811844), the son of a master at school. He was self-taught, but became a distinguished landscape and portrait painter. After exhibiting at the Royal Academy (1808-22), he moved to Edinburgh and became the co-founder and first secretary of the Scottish Academy. He produced a famous portrait of Thomas

Above: Penshaw Monument, designed by architect and ON, Benjamin Green. Opposite: The world’s oldest painting of a professional football match, Sunderland vs Aston Villa (1894) by Thomas Hemy

In the 18th Century, drawing and painting was often thought of as a desirable accomplishment for young ladies. For boys, schools of standing introduced ‘drawing masters’ from the late 18th Century.”

Bewick and acclaimed portraits of eminent Scots such as Sir Walter Scott in oils and watercolours.

It was unknown until recently that Benjamin Green (1790s), who with his architect father John, was responsible for the Theatre Royal, Grey’s Monument, the Penshaw Monument and numerous churches and mansions, had been at the school, but he left a memoir in which he refers to his time there. Like many architects, he had some ability as an artist, but sadly died in an asylum.

In the 1840s, Henri F Hemy, a musician and composer, settled in Newcastle. His three sons all made their reputations as painters, though their education was interrupted when they emigrated to Australia in the 1850s. Charles Hemy (1841-1917) and Thomas Hemy (1852-1931) were remembered by contemporaries at the school, though their time there was probably brief. The third son, Bernard, was probably there too. Charles studied for the priesthood briefly at Ushaw College and spent some time as a monk in England and France after a short spell at sea. In 1863, he started painting, became an RA and was described as the greatest marine painter of his era. One of his works fetched a record £110,000 and his paintings can be seen at the British Museum and the Tate Gallery. Thomas also found fame as a marine artist, after studying at Newcastle and Antwerp. His painting of Sunderland vs Aston Villa (1894), the world’s oldest painting of a professional football match, hangs in the Stadium of Light at Sunderland.

In more recent times, L Donovan Gibson (22-27) became a successful portrait and still life painter in oils and watercolours and Peter Chase (30-39) has been a well regarded industrial and landscape painter and print maker and tutor, exhibiting in London and South. Malcolm Gleghorn (44-50) was a landscape painter with a studio at Newton-on-the-Moor and taught Art for many years. Finally, Gerald Laing, who was in the Junior School (1940s) before going to Berkhamstead, made his mark as a pop artist and disciple of Lichtenstein, as well as a sculptor. He passed away in 2011 aged 75.

Undoubtedly, other ON artists will be developing out there as I write. I certainly hope so.