thumb|Cattermole painting, [[National Portrait Gallery, London|National Portrait Gallery]]

George Cattermole (10 August 180024 July 1868) was a British painter and illustrator, chiefly in watercolours. Unusually for watercolourists of the period, most of his paintings are figure scenes, often interiors with a crowd of figures, illustrating scenes from history or literature, or just genre scenes in historical costume. He was a friend of Charles Dickens and many other literary and artistic figures.

thumb|[[Macbeth instructing the murderers employed to kill Banquo; Victoria and Albert Museum]]

After early success in his career, there was something of a crisis in the 1850s, when he largely gave up watercolours, and mostly failed to make an impact painting in oils. His health caused him problems, and he was greatly affected by the early deaths of two of his children in 1862 and 1863.

His family contained many artists. His elder brother Richard (1795 - 1858) began as an artist, mostly drawing churches for architectural books and prints, before becoming a clergyman in his mid-thirties. He wrote books, including histories that George illustrated. Richard's son Charles Cattermole RI (1832-1900) painted similar subjects to his uncle George, especially of the English Civil War, and in a fairly similar style. Three of George's sons were also artists. The eldest, Ernest George (1841-1863) died young after joining the Indian Army. Leonardo Foster George Cattermole (1843-1895) assisted his father, and was especially good at horses. The youngest, Sidney William George Cattermole (1858-1915) mostly painted animals, especially dogs.

Life and work

thumb|The Armourer's Tale; Victoria and Albert Museum

He was born at Dickleburgh, near Diss, Norfolk. At the age of fourteen he began working as an architectural and topographical draughtsman for the antiquary John Britton. Afterwards he contributed designs to be engraved in the literary annuals then very popular, then progressed into watercolour painting, becoming an associate of the Royal Watercolour Society in 1822, and a full member in 1833. In 1850 he withdrew from active connection with this society, and took to painting in oil. His most fertile period was between 1833 and 1850. At the Paris Exhibition of 1855 he received one of the five first-class gold medals awarded to British painters. He also enjoyed professional honours in Amsterdam and in Belgium. Among his leading works are The Murder of the Bishop of Liege, The Armourer relating the Story of the Sword, The Assassination of the Regent Murray by Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, and (in oil) A Terrible Secret.

He was often employed by publishers, illustrating the Cathedral Antiquities of England produced by John Britton, the Waverley Novels, and the Historical Annual of his brother Richard Cattermole (his scenes from the wars of Cavaliers and Roundheads in this series are among his best engraved works), and many other volumes besides. He collaborated with "Phiz" on illustrations for Dickens's The Old Curiosity Shop, and Barnaby Rudge. Cattermole specialized in rendering scenes of chivalry, of medievalism, and generally of the romantic aspects of the past.

thumb|[[Lady Macbeth, V&A]]

thumb|[[Amy Robsart and her maid, watercolour, 1852]]

thumb|Death of [[Prince Rupert of the Rhine (who in fact died at home at the age of 62]]

Cattermole is buried in West Norwood Cemetery, near the tomb of his first employer John Britton.

thumb|Cattermole in the 1860s

Art UK records nearly 400 works in British museums; the Victoria and Albert Museum has one of the largest collections.

References

  • Mallalieu, Huon, The Dictionary of British watercolour artists up to 1920, Volume I A-L, 3rd edition, 2002, Woodbridge, Suffolk: Antique Collectors' Club, , 2nd edition on the Internet Archive

Further reading

  • Cohen, Jane R. Charles Dickens and his original illustrators (Ohio State University Press, 1980), chapter 5, p125 ff.
  • New DNB biography
  • Biography (Victorian web)
  • Works by Cattermole (Tate gallery, London)
  • Portrait of Cattermole (National Portrait Gallery, London)
  • engraved by W Kelsall for Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1832 with a poetical illustration by Letitia Elizabeth Landon.
  • In Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834, as illustrations to Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poem :

:* Dus Awtar Caves of Ellora, engraved by William Woolnoth

;* Interior of Deer Warra, Caves of Ellora, engraved by William Woolnoth