Henrietta Emma Ratcliffe Rae (30 December 1859 – 26 January 1928) was a British painter of the late Victorian era,[1][2] who specialised in classical, allegorical and literary subjects. Her best-known painting is The Lady with the Lamp (1891); depicting Florence Nightingale at Scutari.
Henrietta Rae was born on 30 December 1859 in Hammersmith, London, to Thomas Burbey Rae, a civil servant, and Ann Eliza Rae (née Graves), a musician who had been a student of Felix Mendelssohn. She had three brothers and three sisters.[1][3][4]
Rae began formally studying art at the age of thirteen, being educated at the Queen Square School of Art, Heatherley's School of Art (as the school's first female pupil) and at the British Museum. Rae reportedly applied to the Royal Academy of Arts at least five times before eventually gaining a seven-year scholarship. Her teachers there included Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, who had the strongest influence on her later work, as well as Frank Dicksee and William Powell Frith.
Hylas and the Water Nymphs, a representative example of her work
In 1884 she married painter and fellow Royal Academy student Ernest Normand, but kept her maiden name – a choice considered unusual at the time – because she had already begun to establish her reputation as an artist, having been a frequent exhibitor at the annual Royal Academy exhibitions since 1881. Rae and Normand lived in Holland Park, the residence of many other artists of the day.[5] Frequent visitors included Leighton, Millais, Prinsep, and Watts.[6] However, the attention was not always welcomed. In her memoirs, Rae described the overbearing attitudes and conduct of some of the more senior artists. In one such case, Prinsep dipped his thumb in cobalt blue paint and marked up one of Rae's pictures. In retaliation, Rae "accidentally" burnt his hat on her stove.[7]
Rae and Normand travelled to Paris in 1890 to study at the Académie Julian with Jules Joseph Lefebvre and Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant. In 1893, they moved to Upper Norwood, into a studio that was custom-built for them by Normand's father. The couple had two children, a son (born in 1886) and a daughter (born in 1893).
Rae was a supporter of feminism and women's suffrage. In 1897 Rae organised an exhibition of the work of female artists for the Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
She died on 26 January 1928 at Upper Norwood.
Works
Rae specialised in classical, allegorical and literary subjects. Her painting Elaine Guarding the Shield of Lancelot (1885) drew inspiration from the Tennyson poem Lancelot and Elaine. Among her many other paintings in the classical vein, Eurydice Sinking Back to Hades (1886) won Honorable Mention at the 1889 International Exhibition in Paris and a medal at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.[9] Her 1891 painting Miss Nightingale at Scutari (1854), of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, has been frequently reproduced, and is generally referred to as The Lady with the Lamp.
Rae's Psyche at the Throne of Venus (1894) measures 12 by 7 feet (370 by 210 cm) and contains 13 figures.[10] Her painting Sir Richard Whittington Dispensing His Charities (1900) depicts Richard Whittington; a medieval merchant and four-time Lord Mayor of London. She also painted many socially prominent people; including Lord Dufferin in 1901.
^Debra Mancoff and D. J. Trela, eds., Victorian Urban Settings: Essays on the Nineteenth-Century City and Its Contexts, London, Taylor & Francis, 1996; p. 71.
^Nichols, K. L. "Women's Art at the World's Columbian Fair & Exposition, Chicago 1893". Retrieved 30 July 2018.
^Devereux, Jo (2016). The Making of Women Artists in Victorian England: The education and careers of six professionals. McFarland & Company. pp. 201–202. ISBN978-1-4766-2604-8. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
^Meaghan Clarke, Critical Voices: Women and Art Criticism in Britain 1880–1905, London, Ashgate, 2005; p. 99.
^"John Horner (1858–1919) | Art UK". artuk.org. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henrietta Rae.
Henrietta Rae @ Victorian Artists.
"Into the Light", Henrietta Rae and the Academic Nude @ Eclectic Light
20 artworks by or after Henrietta Rae at the Art UK site
January 14, 2023
henrietta, henrietta, emma, ratcliffe, december, 1859, january, 1928, british, painter, late, victorian, specialised, classical, allegorical, literary, subjects, best, known, painting, lady, with, lamp, 1891, depicting, florence, nightingale, scutari, date, un. Henrietta Emma Ratcliffe Rae 30 December 1859 26 January 1928 was a British painter of the late Victorian era 1 2 who specialised in classical allegorical and literary subjects Her best known painting is The Lady with the Lamp 1891 depicting Florence Nightingale at Scutari Henrietta RaeHenrietta Rae date unknownBornHenrietta Emma Ratcliffe Rae30 December 1859Hammersmith London EnglandDied26 January 1928 aged 68 Upper Norwood EnglandNationalityBritishEducationAcademy Julien ParisKnown forPainter writerNotable workThe Lady with the LampMovementVictorian artSpouse s Ernest Normand painter 1857 1923 Contents 1 Biography 2 Works 2 1 Gallery 3 References 4 External linksBiography EditHenrietta Rae was born on 30 December 1859 in Hammersmith London to Thomas Burbey Rae a civil servant and Ann Eliza Rae nee Graves a musician who had been a student of Felix Mendelssohn She had three brothers and three sisters 1 3 4 Rae began formally studying art at the age of thirteen being educated at the Queen Square School of Art Heatherley s School of Art as the school s first female pupil and at the British Museum Rae reportedly applied to the Royal Academy of Arts at least five times before eventually gaining a seven year scholarship Her teachers there included Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema who had the strongest influence on her later work as well as Frank Dicksee and William Powell Frith Hylas and the Water Nymphs a representative example of her work In 1884 she married painter and fellow Royal Academy student Ernest Normand but kept her maiden name a choice considered unusual at the time because she had already begun to establish her reputation as an artist having been a frequent exhibitor at the annual Royal Academy exhibitions since 1881 Rae and Normand lived in Holland Park the residence of many other artists of the day 5 Frequent visitors included Leighton Millais Prinsep and Watts 6 However the attention was not always welcomed In her memoirs Rae described the overbearing attitudes and conduct of some of the more senior artists In one such case Prinsep dipped his thumb in cobalt blue paint and marked up one of Rae s pictures In retaliation Rae accidentally burnt his hat on her stove 7 Rae and Normand travelled to Paris in 1890 to study at the Academie Julian with Jules Joseph Lefebvre and Jean Joseph Benjamin Constant In 1893 they moved to Upper Norwood into a studio that was custom built for them by Normand s father The couple had two children a son born in 1886 and a daughter born in 1893 Rae exhibited her work at the Palace of Fine Arts and The Woman s Building at the 1893 World s Columbian Exposition in Chicago Illinois 8 Rae was a supporter of feminism and women s suffrage In 1897 Rae organised an exhibition of the work of female artists for the Jubilee of Queen Victoria She died on 26 January 1928 at Upper Norwood Works EditRae specialised in classical allegorical and literary subjects Her painting Elaine Guarding the Shield of Lancelot 1885 drew inspiration from the Tennyson poem Lancelot and Elaine Among her many other paintings in the classical vein Eurydice Sinking Back to Hades 1886 won Honorable Mention at the 1889 International Exhibition in Paris and a medal at the 1893 World s Columbian Exposition in Chicago 9 Her 1891 painting Miss Nightingale at Scutari 1854 of Florence Nightingale the founder of modern nursing has been frequently reproduced and is generally referred to as The Lady with the Lamp The Lady with the Lamp a popular lithographic reproduction of her best known painting Rae s Psyche at the Throne of Venus 1894 measures 12 by 7 feet 370 by 210 cm and contains 13 figures 10 Her painting Sir Richard Whittington Dispensing His Charities 1900 depicts Richard Whittington a medieval merchant and four time Lord Mayor of London She also painted many socially prominent people including Lord Dufferin in 1901 Her works include Love s young dream 1883 Elaine guarding the shield of Lancelot 1885 Ariadne 1885 Eurydice Sinking Back to Hades 1886 Zephyrus and Flora 1888 Miss Nightingale at Scutari 1854 1891 Psyche at the throne of Venus 1894 Apollo and Daphne 1895 Diana and Calisto 1899 Sir Richard Whittington dispensing his Charities 1900 Mural at the Royal Exchange London The Marquess of Dufferin and Ava 1901 Hylas and the water nymphs 1910 John Horner 1858 1919 1913 Ulster Museum Belfast 11 Gallery Edit A Bacchante 1885 Doubts 1886 Azaleas 1895 Ophelia 1890 Zephyrus Wooing Flora c 1900 Venus Enthroned 1902 The Sirens 1903 Isabella 1905 References Edit a b Arthur Fish Henrietta Rae Mrs Ernest Normand London Cassell amp Co 1905 Deborah Cherry Painting Women Victorian Women Artists London Routledge 1993 Gray Sara 2009 R Dictionary of British Women Artists Cambridge Lutterworth Press pp 216 229 ISBN 9780718830847 JSTOR j ctt1cgdwwm Henrietta Rae Art Renewal Center Retrieved 20 February 2017 Caroline Dakers The Holland Park Circle Artists and Victorian Society New Haven Yale University Press 1999 Fish p 47 Debra Mancoff and D J Trela eds Victorian Urban Settings Essays on the Nineteenth Century City and Its Contexts London Taylor amp Francis 1996 p 71 Nichols K L Women s Art at the World s Columbian Fair amp Exposition Chicago 1893 Retrieved 30 July 2018 Devereux Jo 2016 The Making of Women Artists in Victorian England The education and careers of six professionals McFarland amp Company pp 201 202 ISBN 978 1 4766 2604 8 Retrieved 20 February 2017 Meaghan Clarke Critical Voices Women and Art Criticism in Britain 1880 1905 London Ashgate 2005 p 99 John Horner 1858 1919 Art UK artuk org Retrieved 11 April 2019 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henrietta Rae Henrietta Rae Victorian Artists Into the Light Henrietta Rae and the Academic Nude Eclectic Light 20 artworks by or after Henrietta Rae at the Art UK site Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Henrietta Rae amp oldid 1128970738, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
