GEORGE HENRY RA RSA RSW (SCOTTISH 1858 - 1943)
THE LOCKET

oil on canvas, signed, titled label verso
framed

image size 101cm x 79cm, overall size 121cm x 100cm

Exhibition label verso: No. 80, Irish International Exhibition, Dublin 1907.
Label verso: Thomas Agnew & Sons, London.
Note: The model for “The Locket” was Alice Perry. Alice posed for several works by George Henry in his studio at Glebe Place, Chelsea (London) between 1904 and 1906. These include “The Poinsettia” (1904) , “The Blue Gown” (1906) both exhibited at the Glasgow Institute of Fine arts, “Ready for the Theatre” (1905) and "The Tortoiseshell Mirror" (Paisley Museum & Art Gallery). Many of the works of this period show the strong influence of the works of Whistler. Whistler had several iconic works with the model seated in a similar manner. Ninety-six of George Henry's paintings are held in UK public collections including at Glasgow Museums, Kelvingrove, The Hunterian, The Laing, The Guildhall Art Gallery (London), Kirkcaldy Galleries, Manchester Art Gallery, The National Galleries of Scotland and The City Art Centre (Edinburgh) and numerous others in National collections outside the UK. His fabulous work of an elegant Edwardian “The Black Hat” (1910) is considered to be one of his finest works in the genre and was most recently exhibited to the public in "Modern Britain 1900 - 1960 Masterworks from Australian and New Zealand Collections" a major exhibition organised by the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (15th November 2007 - 24th February 2008).
Note 2: A leading member of the Glasgow School (Glasgow Boys), the most progressive artists in Britain during the latter part of the 19th c., George Henry moved to 26 Glebe Place, Chelsea (London) and established a hugely successful society portrait practice. He showed annually at the Royal Academy from 1904. Aside from formal figure work, he produced a number of elegant exhibition pieces around this time which were, in part, influenced by his lengthy visit to Japan with E. A. Hornel 1893-94.