Frederick Yeates Hurlstone (6 December 1800 – 10 June 1869) was an English painter. He was celebrated for his historical, portrait, and genre works, particularly scenes of Spanish and Italian rustic life. Trained under Sir William Beechey and Sir Thomas Lawrence, he won prestigious medals at the Royal Academy before focusing on exhibitions with the Society of British Artists, where he served as president from 1835 until his death. Known for works like The Last Sigh of the Moor and Italian Boys Playing the National Game of Mora, Hurlstone drew inspiration from travels to Italy, Spain, and Morocco, shifting to a "picaresco" style influenced by Murillo and Velázquez. Despite his opposition to the Royal Academy's management, he remained a prolific and influential figure, contributing over 300 works to exhibitions and earning international recognition, including a gold medal at the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris.

Life

Frederick Yeates Hurlstone was born in London on 6 December 1800, the eldest son by his second marriage of Thomas Y. Hurlstone, one of the proprietors of The Morning Chronicle (his great-uncle, Richard Hurleston, was a student of Joseph Wright of Derby). He began life in the office of his father's journal, but, while still very young, became a pupil of Sir William Beechey, afterwards studying under Sir Thomas Lawrence, and Benjamin Haydon. "In the year 1836, in consequence of visiting Italy, Mr. Hurlstone in a great measure discontinued a style which had been attended with great success, and took to painting works in what Spaniards call the 'picaresco' style – a style which includes beggar-boys and vagabonds of Murillo and Velasquez. In his groups of Italian boys and girls, Mr. Hurlstone has given representations of an uncluttered life; often of that beauty which is united with wilderness, and this without the vulgarity with which such subjects are too often treated. In 1841, and again in 1852, he somewhat varied his subjects, by drawing his resources from Spain, which country he visited those years; but his style of treatment remained essentially the same. In the year 1854 the painter visited Morocco, and while in that semi-bararous locality, he painted several pictures, of which the principle on was a subject from the History of the Moors in Spain, entitled, Bobadil el Chico (the last king) Mourning over the Fall of Grenada, reproached by his Mother, which, together with his Italian Boys Playing the National Game of Mora, and his Constance and Arthur formed Mr. Hurlstone's contributions to the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1855, when he received from the Emperor a gold medal of honour." Eleven of his best works were re-exhibited at the Society of British Artists in 1870.

Hurlstone was also a successful portrait painter, one of his best heads being that of Richard, seventh earl of Cavan, exhibited at the Society of British Artists in 1833, and again, together with that of General Sir John MacLeod, at the National Portrait Exhibition of 1868.

He was always much opposed to the constitution and management of the Royal Academy, and gave evidence before at the Parliamentary enquiry into the constitution of the Royal Academy in 1835 and again in 1836 to the select committee of the House of Commons. Hurlstone never became a member of the Royal Academy. He was elected president of the Royal Society of British Artists in 1835 and held the office until his death sending 326 works to their exhibitions.

Hurlstone died at 9 Chester Street, Belgravia, London, on 10 June 1869, in his sixty-ninth year, and was buried in Norwood cemetery.

Family and descendants

In 1836 Hurlstone married fellow artist Jane Coral who exhibited some watercolour drawings and portraits at the Royal Academy and the Society of British Artists between 1846 and 1850, but from 1850 to 1856 she contributed to the latter exhibition only fancy subjects in oil-colours. She died on 2 October 1858, leaving issue two sons, one of whom was also an artist. Hurlstone's grandson, William Hurlstone, became a moderately well-known composer.

Vegetarianism

Hurlstone made notable contributions to the early vegetarian movement in London, likely influenced by his wife, Jane Hurlstone. Their home at Chester Street, Belgrave Square, hosted several early vegetarian society meetings, and Frederick served on the gentlemen's committee of the London Vegetarian Association in 1854.

Some representative works

  • A Venetian Page (1824)
  • The Enchantress Armida (1831)
  • Eros (1836)
  • Prisoner of Chillon (1837)
  • The Peasant Girl of Sorrento (1847)
  • A Boy of Venice (1853)
  • Boabdil (1854)
  • Portrait of the 7th Earl of Cavan (1833)

Notes

References

Attribution:

  • Hurlstone online (ArtCyclopedia)
  • Sancho Panza Attended by his State Physician from the Tate Gallery
  • Self Portrait at the National Portrait Gallery, London