Charles Vacher
Encyclopedia
Charles Vacher painter in watercolours, was the third son of the well-known stationer and bookseller, Thomas Vacher, of 29 Parliament Street, Westminster, where he was born on 22 June 1818.
He studied art at the Royal Academy
. Between 1839 and 1843 he pursued his studies in Rome.
Many tours followed, in which he visited Italy, Sicily, France, Germany, Algeria, and Egypt, making large numbers of sketches in all these countries. These sketches furnished him with materials for his numerous drawings, which were highly finished and had an excellence of composition and an abundance of interesting details that gave his works a considerable popularity. His speciality was Italian views, but Egyptian and some Algerian subjects were also sketched and painted. The marine painter Edward William Cooke
visited his Italian studio in 1846.
He was a rapid worker, and, besides over two thousand sketch
es which he left at his death, he often executed twelve to sixteen finished works in one year, and between 1838 and 1881 he exhibited no fewer than 350 at the London exhibitions. His first exhibit at the Royal Academy was, in 1838, ‘Well at Bacharach on the Rhine,’ but the majority of his pictures — 324 works in all — were shown at the gallery of the New Society of Painters in Water Colours, now the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, which he joined in 1846, on the introduction of his friend Louis Hague. His name first appears at the Royal Manchester Institution
exhibition in 1842 as a contributor of six drawings, all of buildings in Italy. One of these, ‘Naples with Vesuvius,’ is probably that now in the South Kensington Museum. The British Museum
possesses two fairly good examples of his work—‘View of City of Tombs, Cairo,’ 1863, and ‘View in the Forum, Rome’—and many others are in the possession of his widow.
Vacher married Jane Allan, daughter of James Mathewson Allan, on the 16th of July, 1857. He died on 21 July 1883 at his residence, 4 The Boltons, West Brompton, of progressive cerebro-spinal paralysis. The couple had no children, his widow Jane and his nephews became executors of the £45,000 left in his will, a remarkable sum for a painter. His unsold works were auctioned by Christies on 21 February, 1884. He was buried at Kensal Green cemetery. A portrait in watercolour, painted by himself, belonged to his widow, who also possessed a portrait painted in oil by Thomas Harwood (a watercolour painter) in Rome. Vacher's elder brother, George, owned a portrait of him in oil which was executed in 1850 by William Denholm Kennedy.
The Victoria and Albert
, Portsmouth City, and British Museum
contain works by the artist, as do the Glasgow and Grundy Art Gallery.
He studied art at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
. Between 1839 and 1843 he pursued his studies in Rome.
Many tours followed, in which he visited Italy, Sicily, France, Germany, Algeria, and Egypt, making large numbers of sketches in all these countries. These sketches furnished him with materials for his numerous drawings, which were highly finished and had an excellence of composition and an abundance of interesting details that gave his works a considerable popularity. His speciality was Italian views, but Egyptian and some Algerian subjects were also sketched and painted. The marine painter Edward William Cooke
Edward William Cooke
Edward William Cooke, R.A., F.R.S., F.Z.S., F.S.A., F.G.S. was an English landscape and marine painter, and gardener.-Life and work:...
visited his Italian studio in 1846.
He was a rapid worker, and, besides over two thousand sketch
Sketch (drawing)
A sketch is a rapidly executed freehand drawing that is not usually intended as a finished work...
es which he left at his death, he often executed twelve to sixteen finished works in one year, and between 1838 and 1881 he exhibited no fewer than 350 at the London exhibitions. His first exhibit at the Royal Academy was, in 1838, ‘Well at Bacharach on the Rhine,’ but the majority of his pictures — 324 works in all — were shown at the gallery of the New Society of Painters in Water Colours, now the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours, which he joined in 1846, on the introduction of his friend Louis Hague. His name first appears at the Royal Manchester Institution
Royal Manchester Institution
The Royal Manchester Institution was an English learned society founded on 1 October 1823 at a public meeting held in the Exchange Room by Manchester merchants, local artists and others keen to dispel the image of Manchester as a city lacking in culture and taste.The Institution was housed in a...
exhibition in 1842 as a contributor of six drawings, all of buildings in Italy. One of these, ‘Naples with Vesuvius,’ is probably that now in the South Kensington Museum. The British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
possesses two fairly good examples of his work—‘View of City of Tombs, Cairo,’ 1863, and ‘View in the Forum, Rome’—and many others are in the possession of his widow.
Vacher married Jane Allan, daughter of James Mathewson Allan, on the 16th of July, 1857. He died on 21 July 1883 at his residence, 4 The Boltons, West Brompton, of progressive cerebro-spinal paralysis. The couple had no children, his widow Jane and his nephews became executors of the £45,000 left in his will, a remarkable sum for a painter. His unsold works were auctioned by Christies on 21 February, 1884. He was buried at Kensal Green cemetery. A portrait in watercolour, painted by himself, belonged to his widow, who also possessed a portrait painted in oil by Thomas Harwood (a watercolour painter) in Rome. Vacher's elder brother, George, owned a portrait of him in oil which was executed in 1850 by William Denholm Kennedy.
The Victoria and Albert
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
, Portsmouth City, and British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
contain works by the artist, as do the Glasgow and Grundy Art Gallery.