Charles West Cope

{"Id":711,"Name":"Charles West Cope","Biography":"\u003Cstrong\u003ECharles West Cope\u003C/strong\u003E painted one of the most telling pictures of the proceedings of the Royal Academy in the nineteenth century. This picture is \u003Cu\u003EThe Council of the Royal Academy selecting Pictures for Exhibition 1876\u003C/u\u003E. Clearly shown are \u003Ca href=\u0022/asp/database/art.asp?aid=2618\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003ESir Francis Grant PRA\u003C/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022/asp/database/art.asp?aid=14\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EFrederic Leighton\u003C/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022/asp/database/art.asp?aid=77\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EJohn Everett Millais\u003C/a\u003E. It was a great advantage to aspiring artists at the time, to have their pictures exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. From the late 1860s to the 1890s the number of pictures submitted for exhibition almost trebled. The Academicians rejected calls for a reform, which would have reduced the number of pictures, which they were allowed to show, without selection, by right of their position. The consequence of this was that the opportunity for other artist\u0026rsquo;s pictures to be hung was even more limited than would otherwise have been the case. This was widely resented, as was the tendency to \u0026ldquo;sky\u0026rdquo; pictures by less than popular artists and newcomers. The following poem appeared, anonymously, in 1875:\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026ldquo;The toil of months, experience of years,\u003Cbr\u003EBefore the dreaded council now appears:\u003Cbr\u003EIt\u0026rsquo;s left their view almost as soon as in it.\u003Cbr\u003EThey damn them at the rate of three a minute\u003Cbr\u003EScarce time for even faults to be detected,\u003Cbr\u003EThe cross is chalked: \u0027tis flung aside \u0026lsquo;REJECTED\u0026rsquo;.\u003Cbr\u003EShame! That they, Artists, should have such pain given\u003Cbr\u003ETo those who struggle as themselves have striven\u0026rdquo;\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThis system does much to explain the hostility with which some leading artists of the day regarded the RA. Cope also painted the brilliant and humorous \u003Cu\u003EThe Night Alarm: The Advance\u003C/u\u003E of 1871.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022/asp/database/art.asp?aid=710\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003ESir Arthur Stockdale Cope RA\u003C/a\u003E (1857-1940), was his son.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\u0022center\u0022\u003E\u003Chr width=\u002275%\u0022\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cdiv align=\u0022center\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022intro\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOBITUARY\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cu\u003EThe Times\u003C/u\u003E, Wednesday, August 27, 1890\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIt is with regret that we have to record the death of Charles West Cope RA, well-known in the last generation as a painter of historical and domestic scenes. Mr Cope was the son of a painter of no mean reputation and was born in Leeds in 1811. He came to London and first learned of Mr Sass, after which he worked at the RA. After a residence of two years in Italy, on return to these shores his picture of \u003Cu\u003EThe Holy Family\u003C/u\u003E attracted considerable attention, and was purchased by the art patron Mr Beckford. He began to exhibit at the Royal Academy in 1833. In 1836 \u003Cu\u003EHagar and Ishmael\u003C/u\u003E was executed, followed by \u003Cu\u003EThe Cronies\u003C/u\u003E and \u003Cu\u003EPaolo and Francesca\u003C/u\u003E in 1837, with \u003Cu\u003EOsteria Di Campagne, near Rome\u003C/u\u003E in 1838, and \u003Cu\u003EThe Flemish Mother\u003C/u\u003E in 1839. Following closely on these pictures, others were painted, notably \u003Cu\u003EHelp thy Father in his Age, Almsgiving, Poor Law Guardians\u003C/u\u003E. He also painted a considerable number of pictures from the poets, such as \u003Cu\u003EThe Schoolmaster\u003C/u\u003E Goldsmith \u003Cu\u003EHope - her silent watch the Mother Keeps\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EThe Hawthorn Bush\u003C/u\u003E, and \u003Cu\u003EThe Cotter\u0026rsquo;s Saturday Night\u003C/u\u003E.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIn 1843 he entered the Westminster Hall competition, and his capital cartoon of \u003Cu\u003EFirst Trial by Jury\u003C/u\u003E gained a \u0026pound;300 prize. The following year found him in another competition for fresco designs, and his success with \u003Cu\u003EThe Meeting of Joseph and Rachel\u003C/u\u003E procured for him a commission of one of the six frescoes for the new House of Lords. \u003Cu\u003EEdward the Black Prince\u003C/u\u003E of 1845 was followed by a commission from Prince Albert for \u003Cu\u003EThe last days of Cardinal Wolsey\u003C/u\u003E. Having been elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1844 he was in 1848 an Academician. Besides other pictures in the New Palace he produced others of a domestic character, among them being \u003Cu\u003EThe Young Mother\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EGirl at Prayer\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EMaiden Meditation\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EFirst Born\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003ECreeping Like a Snail Unwillingly to School\u003C/u\u003E. Among others may be mentioned \u003Cu\u003EKing Lear and Ophelia\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003ERoyal Prisoners\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EDeparture of the Pilgrim Fathers\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EUpward Gazing\u003C/u\u003E, Repose\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EConvalescent\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EScholar\u0026rsquo;s mate\u003C/u\u003E.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EHe worked on some eight frescoes for the Peers corridor of the Houses of Parliament. The subjects are \u003Cu\u003EThe Raising of the Royal Standard\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EThe Defence of Basing House\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EThe Burial of Charles the First\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003ESpeaker Leathall Asserting the Privileges of the House of Commons\u003C/u\u003E. Since completion of the last named works Mr Cope has exhibited many pictures at the Royal Academy, the chief names being \u003Cu\u003EShylock and Jessica\u003C/u\u003E 1867, \u003Cu\u003EOthello Relating his Adventures\u003C/u\u003E 1868, \u003Cu\u003EHome Dreams\u003C/u\u003E, 1869, \u003Cu\u003EGentle and Simple\u003C/u\u003E, 1871.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMr Cope was not forgetful of his birthplace, for he presented an Altar-Piece for St George\u0026rsquo;s Church, Leeds where it has stood since 1839 as a memorial. Mr Cope was an original member of the Etching Club, and his plate \u003Cu\u003EThe Life Class of the Royal Academy\u003C/u\u003E ranks as one of the most vigorous subjects ever etched by an Englishman. Mr Cope was Professor of Painting at the Royal Academy from 1867 to 1874, and was a trustee of that body. He resided at Cranford-rise in Maidenhead, but died on Thursday last at Bournemouth in his eightieth year, leaving a widow and several sons to mourn him.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cu\u003ESource:\u003C/u\u003E\u003C/b\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cli type=\u0022square\u0022\u003EThese articles have been reprinted with the kind permission of Paul Ripley, from his website: \u003Ca href=\u0022http://www.victorianartinbritain.co.uk/biog/cope.htm\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EVictorian Art in Britain\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/li\u003E\u003Cp\u003E","Awards":null,"HasAlbums":false,"HasPortraits":true,"HasRelationships":true,"HasArticles":false,"HasDepictedPlaces":false,"HasLetters":false,"HasLibraryItems":false,"HasProducts":false,"HasSignatures":false,"HasVideos":false,"HasMapLocations":true,"TotalArtworks":13}