JOHN SCARLETT DAVIS BICENTENARY EXHIBITION
An exhibition of work by artist John Scarlett Davis at the Hereford Museum and Art Gallery marks the bicentenary of his birth.
On show from July 17 to September 5 will be around 60 works in pencil, oil, watercolour and print from the Hereford Museum collection together with around 40 works loaned from public and private collections.
Loans will include works from The British Museum, The National Galleries & Museums of Wales, and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
The original letters (held by the Herefordshire Libraries and Information Service) will also be on display. His work has sometimes been confused with and compared to Richard Parkes Bonington but the exhibition will show that he had a style all his own and a comparable ability.
Catherine Willson (Collections Officer for Fine and Decorative Art), said: “Scarlett Davis is a classic tale of local boy makes good!
“This exhibition will surprise many with the sheer quality of the work.
“Davis pursued his natural talent and succeeded as an artist, but his struggle for survival and the rigours of life, on the hoof around Europe, make his story quite inspirational.”
The son of a Leominster watchmaker (James Davis), John Scarlett showed his talent early on by winning a Silver Palette of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts at the age of 11.
He studied in Leominster in his early years when he was a friend of another local artist Joseph Murray Ince of Presteigne.
Ince was a pupil of David Cox the famous watercolour artist and it is possible that Scarlett Davis also lessons from him.
After training in London at the Royal Academy Schools, he began to establish himself as a professional artist.
His early work involved copying pictures from the Royal collections to be engraved for catalogues.
More follows
Church and gallery interiors often feature in later works, where the walls are hung with pictures. They are in fact pictures of paintings and a development of the early copying work.
But his talent was not limited to interiors; he painted portraits, continental street scenes, townscapes and landscapes.
His mature work involved much travel on the Continent carrying out work for rich patrons, now accompanied by his wife and children. These pictures show him to be a formidable draughtsman and a subtle colourist.
Access to the exhibition is FREE. The Museum and Art Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 5pm. Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday 10am – 4pm. There is access for visitors with disabilities.
The exhibition is accompanied by a newly published book by local author Tony Hobbs. John Scarlett Davis a biography is on sale at the Museum for £9.95.
It is a 100 page richly illustrated account of the life of the artist with much new material based on research of his work and letters.
It offers a new insight into his sometimes troubled life and unjustly maligned reputation. Scarlett Davis emerges as a more complete character with a striking artistic legacy.
Also, on 11th August, at 7pm, Tony Hobbs will give a lecture for the Friends of Herefordshire Museums and Arts, in the Woolhope Room at Hereford Museum.
The lecture will be based on the research for his book and selection of work for the exhibition. The lecture is open to the public. Booking is essential and must be made by telephone to Janet Moult, Secretary of the Friends (01432) 264366.
During the summer it will also be possible to see more works by John Scarlett Davis on display at the Leominster Museum, Etnam Street, Leominster. The museum is open Monday to Friday 10.30 - 4pm and 10.30 - 2pm on Saturday until the end of October.
Meanwhile, another “fringe” event is a lecture by local art historian Margaret Newman. The lecture is being held at Arkwright Hall, Kinsham, near Prestigne.
Her lecture on John Scarlett Davis will take place at Kinsham Village Hall on 27th July at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £5 and are available at the door. This lecture is in aid of the Lingen Church fund.
For additional information please contact Catherine Willson 01432 383 591