Joseph Vickers de Ville
Encyclopedia
Joseph Vickers de Ville (1856–1925) was an English
painter
of landscape
s and rural subjects.
, a suburb of Wolverhampton.
Vickers de Ville was not professionally trained and did not consider himself a professional artist, however, his artistic gift was recognised and appreciated. In Compton, he maintained a studio in Tettenhall Wood. From 1887, he exhibited at the Royal Academy
. Between 1876-1920, sixty eight his works were shown at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
, a full member of which he was elected in 1917. He also exhibited at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters
, Fine Art Society
, The Royal Glasgow Institute for the Fine Arts, Royal Scottish Academy
, and at the Salons in Paris.
Vickers de Ville worked in both oils and watercolours. His favourite subject was North Wales where "he first obtained his inspiration amid the grand and imposing scenery", with particular inclination to coastal landscapes and streams and rivers, and investigation of light effects in open air. It was noticed that "few can rival him in depicting torrent, rock, river and trees." His landscapes of the Cotswolds, Malvern, Cheshire and Staffordshire are also well known. Often they expressed the mood of melancholy and solitude, like his painting 'The Moonlight' which was to illustrate Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata'.
Vickers de Ville's personal exhibition was successfully held at Wolverhampton Art Gallery
in 1915. It presented sixty-four paintings and numerous sketches, many of which were loaned by Scottish, Liverpool and London patrons. The exhibition was favourably reviewed and it was particularly mentioned that "a great many of his pictures are in the United States, and others have found owners in France, Germany and South America. Most of them were bought by the Americans. The demand from abroad is one of the reasons why Wolverhampton people have been able to see so little of his work." In 1923, there was another exhibition of his drawings.
A number of paintings by Vickers de Ville have been preserved at Wolverhampton Art Gallery. His works also can be found at McLean Museum and Art Gallery, Greenock, Sheffield Museum and Art Gallery and other public and private collections.
Little is known about de Ville's personal life. He married in 1894, and with his wife Mary had at least one child - the son Claude (born in 1895). The 1901 census also shows the daughter Gladys, born in about 1886, which is well before their marriage.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
of landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
s and rural subjects.
Life and work
Joseph Vickers de Ville was a son of the farmers Joseph and Mary Deville. He was born in Eaton, Derbyshire, but is considered a Wolverhampton artist, as he moved to Wolverhampton by 1881, together with his widowed mother and brothers Richard and John. In the 1880s, his address was Osborne Cottage, Sweetman Street, Wolverhampton, but later he moved to ComptonCompton, Wolverhampton
Compton is a suburb of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England. It is located to the west of Wolverhampton city centre on the A454, within the Tettenhall Wightwick ward.- History :...
, a suburb of Wolverhampton.
Vickers de Ville was not professionally trained and did not consider himself a professional artist, however, his artistic gift was recognised and appreciated. In Compton, he maintained a studio in Tettenhall Wood. From 1887, he exhibited 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 1876-1920, sixty eight his works were shown at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists or RBSA is a learned society of artists and an art gallery based in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, England. it is both a registered charity. and a registered company The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists or RBSA is a learned society of artists and an...
, a full member of which he was elected in 1917. He also exhibited at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters
Royal Institute of Oil Painters
The Royal Institute of Oil Painters, also known as ROI, is an association of painters in London and is the only major art society which features work done only in oil. It is a member society of the Federation of British Artists.-History:...
, Fine Art Society
Fine Art Society
The Fine Art Society is an art dealership with two premises, one in New Bond Street, London and the other in Edinburgh . It was formed in 1876...
, The Royal Glasgow Institute for the Fine Arts, Royal Scottish Academy
Royal Scottish Academy
The Royal Scottish Academy is a Scottish organisation that promotes contemporary Scottish art. Founded in 1826, as the Royal Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts, the RSA maintains a unique position in Scotland as an independently funded institution led by eminent artists and...
, and at the Salons in Paris.
Vickers de Ville worked in both oils and watercolours. His favourite subject was North Wales where "he first obtained his inspiration amid the grand and imposing scenery", with particular inclination to coastal landscapes and streams and rivers, and investigation of light effects in open air. It was noticed that "few can rival him in depicting torrent, rock, river and trees." His landscapes of the Cotswolds, Malvern, Cheshire and Staffordshire are also well known. Often they expressed the mood of melancholy and solitude, like his painting 'The Moonlight' which was to illustrate Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata'.
Vickers de Ville's personal exhibition was successfully held at Wolverhampton Art Gallery
Wolverhampton Art Gallery
Wolverhampton Art Gallery is located in the City of Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands, United Kingdom. The building was funded and constructed by local contractor Philip Horsman , and built on land provided by the Council...
in 1915. It presented sixty-four paintings and numerous sketches, many of which were loaned by Scottish, Liverpool and London patrons. The exhibition was favourably reviewed and it was particularly mentioned that "a great many of his pictures are in the United States, and others have found owners in France, Germany and South America. Most of them were bought by the Americans. The demand from abroad is one of the reasons why Wolverhampton people have been able to see so little of his work." In 1923, there was another exhibition of his drawings.
A number of paintings by Vickers de Ville have been preserved at Wolverhampton Art Gallery. His works also can be found at McLean Museum and Art Gallery, Greenock, Sheffield Museum and Art Gallery and other public and private collections.
Little is known about de Ville's personal life. He married in 1894, and with his wife Mary had at least one child - the son Claude (born in 1895). The 1901 census also shows the daughter Gladys, born in about 1886, which is well before their marriage.