Christopher Edward Perkins (born 21 September 1891 at

Peterborough Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfor ...

, died

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, ...

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

, 8 April 1968) was a British artist who worked in England and New Zealand.

Background and education

Perkins was the son of John Edward Sharman Perkins and his wife, Margaret Charlotte . His older brother was Frank Perkins. Their father was an agricultural engineer who became managing director of Barford & Perkins. He was educated at

Gresham's School Gresham's School is a private school (English fee-charging boarding and day school) in Holt, Norfolk, England, one of the top thirty International Baccalaureate schools in England. The school was founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham as a f ...

, Holt, then at the Heatherley School of Art in London, in 1907, an academy in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

in 1908, and the

Slade School of Fine Art The UCL Slade School of Fine Art (informally The Slade) is the art school of University College London (UCL) and is based in London, England. It has been ranked as the UK's top art and design educational institution. The school is organised as ...

, where his fellow students included

Dora Carrington Dora de Houghton Carrington (29 March 1893 – 11 March 1932), known generally as Carrington, was an English painter and decorative artist, remembered in part for her association with members of the Bloomsbury Group, especially the writer Lytt ...

, Mark Gertler,

Stanley Spencer Sir Stanley Spencer, CBE Royal Academy of Arts, RA (30 June 1891 – 14 December 1959) was an English painter. Shortly after leaving the Slade School of Art, Spencer became well known for his paintings depicting Biblical scenes occurring as if ...

and C. R. W. Nevinson.

Career

By 1914 he launched his professional career, but joined the

British army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

at the outbreak of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, rising to the rank of acting captain. He then returned to painting, and in the 1920s he and his family lived in France. He published an essay, ''On Museums'', in 1925. His work was becoming known, and in 1925 he was helped by

Roger Fry Roger Eliot Fry (14 December 1866 – 9 September 1934) was an English painter and art critic, critic, and a member of the Bloomsbury Group. Establishing his reputation as a scholar of the Old Masters, he became an advocate of more recent ...

and

William Rothenstein Sir William Rothenstein (29 January 1872 – 14 February 1945) was an English painter, printmaker, draughtsman, lecturer, and writer on art. Though he covered many subjects – ranging from landscapes in France to representations of Jewish synag ...

for a teaching position. He held a major exhibition in London in 1927. In January 1929 he went to teach at the Wellington Technical College in New Zealand. In 1932 he let his contract lapse and moved to

Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...

, where the availability of

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

subjects was an attraction. Perkins exhibited regularly with the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts from 1929 to 1933. He held a solo exhibition in 1931. In 1933 he held a substantial exhibition in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, Australia. Important works include ''Silverstream brickworks'' (1930), ''Taranaki'' (1931), ''Activity on the wharf'' (1931), ''Meditation'' (1931), ''Haka'', ''Maori meeting'' (1932–34). Perkins returned to England in February 1934. He served in the army again during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and also worked as an unofficial war artist. He achieved a reputation as a portrait painter, showing pictures at the

Royal Academy of Arts The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

and holding many exhibitions, but never attained the leading position he had had in New Zealand.

Family

Perkins was married on 1 April 1914, to Agnes Berry Shaw. They had three children; Jane Perkins married the mycologist Denis Garrett and published a memoir in 1986, ''An Artist's Daughter'', recounting the family's time in New Zealand. J. L. Harley (1991). "Stephen Denis Garrett. 1 November 1906–26 December 1989", ''

Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society The ''Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society'' is an academic journal on the history of science published annually by the Royal Society. It publishes obituaries of Fellows of the Royal Society. It was established in 1932 as ''Obi ...

'' 37: 176–195

Publications

*''On Museums'' by Christopher Perkins (St Tropez, 1925)

References

*''The art of Christopher Perkins'' by P.W. Robertson, in ''Art in New Zealand'' 4, No 13 (September 1931): 8–40 *''The story of Christopher Perkins'' in ''Art in Australia'' 3, No 48 (February 1933): 31–37 *''An introduction to New Zealand painting 1839-1980'' by G. H. Brown & H. Keith (Auckland, 1980) *''An Artist's Daughter: with Christopher Perkins in New Zealand, 1929–1934'' by Jane Garrett (Shoal Bay Press, Auckland, 1986)
Biography of Christopher Edward Perkins at Dictionary of New Zealand Biography

External links

Works in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, Christopher 1891 births 1968 deaths 20th-century English painters English male painters New Zealand painters People educated at Gresham's School Alumni of the Slade School of Fine Art People from Peterborough British Army personnel of World War I British Army officers 20th-century English male artists