William Lee Hankey
Encyclopedia
William Lee Hankey RWS,RI,ROI,RE,NS was a British painter and book illustrator. He specialised in landscapes, character studies and portraits of pastoral life, particularly in studies of mothers with young children such as "We’ve
Been in the Meadows All Day".
He was born in Chester
and studied his craft at the Chester School of Art under Walter Schroeder, at the Royal College of Art
, and later in Paris
where he became influenced by the work of Jules Bastien-Lepage
, who also favoured rustic scenes depicted in a realistic but sentimental style. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy
in 1896 and was President of the Royal Sketch Club from 1902 to 1904. He stayed in France in the early 1900s, painting many of his works in Brittany
, Normandy
and the Cote d'Azure, where he depicted a peasant lifestyle which had already disappeared in England.
Writing in The Studio (Vol. XXXVI, No. 154, Jan. 1906) A.L. Baldry commented that “He is in his water-colours an absolute purist; he paints entirely with transparent pigments, and never has recourse to opaque colours; his brushwork is broad and confident – free, on the one hand, from affectation of showy cleverness, and, on the other, from niggling minuteness or over-elaboration; and he
does not insist, as is the fashion with many present-day painters, upon lowness of tone.”
He was a member of the Newlyn School
, a group of English artists based in the titular village in Cornwall
who were themselves influenced by the romantic poets such as Wordsworth and Keats. He served with the Artists' Rifles
during the Great War from 1915 to 1918.
Been in the Meadows All Day".
He was born in Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
and studied his craft at the Chester School of Art under Walter Schroeder, at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
, and later in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he became influenced by the work of Jules Bastien-Lepage
Jules Bastien-Lepage
Jules Bastien-Lepage , was a French naturalist painter, a style related to the Realist movement.-Life and work:...
, who also favoured rustic scenes depicted in a realistic but sentimental style. He first 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...
in 1896 and was President of the Royal Sketch Club from 1902 to 1904. He stayed in France in the early 1900s, painting many of his works in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
and the Cote d'Azure, where he depicted a peasant lifestyle which had already disappeared in England.
Writing in The Studio (Vol. XXXVI, No. 154, Jan. 1906) A.L. Baldry commented that “He is in his water-colours an absolute purist; he paints entirely with transparent pigments, and never has recourse to opaque colours; his brushwork is broad and confident – free, on the one hand, from affectation of showy cleverness, and, on the other, from niggling minuteness or over-elaboration; and he
does not insist, as is the fashion with many present-day painters, upon lowness of tone.”
He was a member of the Newlyn School
Newlyn School
The Newlyn School is a term used to describe an art colony of artists based in or near to Newlyn, a fishing village adjacent to Penzance, Cornwall, from the 1880s until the early 20th century. The establishment of the Newlyn School was reminiscent of the Barbizon School in France, where artists...
, a group of English artists based in the titular village in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
who were themselves influenced by the romantic poets such as Wordsworth and Keats. He served with the Artists' Rifles
Artists' Rifles
The Artists Rifles is a volunteer regiment of the British Army. Raised in London in 1859 as a volunteer light infantry unit, the regiment saw active service during the Boer Wars and World War I, earning a number of battle honours; however, it did not serve outside of Britain during World War II, as...
during the Great War from 1915 to 1918.