{Artist} Arthur Hacker

Happy Friday dolls! It's been a very busy week for me, back and forth to my oldest's drama classes as she had performances this week and I had an eye test to get new glasses - which I'm going to pick up today & spend the rest of the day with a headache getting used to them, ha! I'll try and take pictures of myself in them - they are Clark Kent meets Cat Woman like, love them - my husband picked them out for me :) The weather has been up and down...mostly rain and cold. Which has left me feeling completely wiped out. I decided on an artist today that I always find a calming peace in when I look at his paintings. I think it's what many need by the end of the week, some solace and rest. So, I hope you enjoy them & have a wonderful weekend! 

Loves & loves

xoxox

Mini Bio

Arthur Hacker was an English classicist painter. Born in London in 1858, he was the son of Edward Hacker, a line engraver. He went to the RA schools before studying in Paris under Leon Bonnat - who happened to be internationally famous as a portrait painter and a lifelong friend of Degas. Bonnat was an ideal teacher for Hacker - because he went on to become a fashionable portrait painter himself. 

He painted genre and historical scenes early in his career, such as 'The Waters of Babylon' and 'The Annunciaton' which was brought by the Chantrey Bequest in 1892. As an indirect result of the success of this painting, he was elected an associate of the RA and soon after began teaching at the Academy, when he partially abandoned subject painting in favour of portraiture, in which he achieved a considerable amount of success.  and then turned to myths and allegories later on. 

He was elected an Academician in 1910 and began to paint a series of London street scenes, including A Wet Night in Piccadilly Circus, which met with mixed reception from the critics who were not prepared for a painting of this nature, which was far more modern in its treatment that anything else Hacker had produced. In his later years he returned to painting mythological and allegorical subjects. He died on Wednesday, 12 November 1919 in London, where he had resided all his life, and was buried at Brookwood Cemetery near Woking, Surrey.

I enjoy how throughout his work, he was able to change his style several times, from French academic style in the late 1880's & then Pre-Raphaelite, symbolist, poetic-rustic and other simple genre figures, to me it shows not just a set talent or eye for one thing, but the ability to adapt and change and grow and express at all times no matter what. Artists like that really sit well with me the most, no matter my mood, I can always find myself in their paintings daydreaming.

Some of his works - but please, there are far more beautiful ones to discover - this is just a taste - I'll be adding many on my tumblr soon:

The Cloud - 1902

The Temptation of Sir Percival - 1894

The Sea Maiden

Autumn - 1907

Portrait of a Girl - 1896

By The Waters of Babylon - 1888

 The Cloister or the World, 1896.

And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt. 1897.

A Bacchante - 1913

Daphne

A Nude Bacchante with a Faun

Abundance - 1916

♥