Ernest Normand (1857-1923) was an English painter noted for his historical and Biblical scenes as well as Orientalist works.

Life and career

Ernest Normand was born in London on 30 December 1857. He painted history and orientalist paintings, and also undertook portraits. In 1884 he married the painter and writer, Henrietta Rae (1859-1928). They both painted nude figures in lush settings, and were criticized for an apparent tendency toward an excess of sensuality in some of their paintings. The Normands were based in London from 1885, where Ernest had his studio and received support from the circle around Lord Leighton. They lived in

Holland Park Holland Park is an area of Kensington, on the western edge of Central London, that lies within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and largely surrounds its namesake park, Holland Park. Colloquially referred to as 'Millionaire's Row', ...

, an area known as the residence of many other artists of the day. Frequent visitors to their home included Leighton, Millais, Prinsep, and

Watts Watts is plural for ''watt'', the unit of power. Watts may also refer to: People *Watts (surname), a list of people with the surname Watts Fictional characters *Albie Watts, a fictional character in the British soap opera ''EastEnders'' *Angie ...

. These more senior artists ''adopted'' the Normands, but their criticism was not always welcome. In her memoirs, Henrietta described the overbearing attitudes and conduct of some of the more senior artists. In 1890, the Normands travelled to Paris to study at the

Académie Julian The () was a private art school for painting and sculpture founded in Paris, France, in 1867 by French painter and teacher Rodolphe Julian (1839–1907). The school was active from 1868 through 1968. It remained famous for the number and qual ...

with Jules Joseph Lefebvre and Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant. In 1893, the Normands moved to

Upper Norwood Upper Norwood is an area of south London, England, within the London Boroughs of London Borough of Bromley, Bromley, London Borough of Croydon, Croydon, London Borough of Lambeth, Lambeth and London Borough of Southwark, Southwark. It is north ...

, into a studio that was custom-built for them by Normand's father. The couple had two children, a son (born in 1886) and a daughter (born in 1893).

Work

He painted history and orientalist paintings,(f
Orientalistes
/ref> and also undertook portraits. His work was influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites. Normand painted the "King John Granting the

Magna Carta (Medieval Latin for "Great Charter"), sometimes spelled Magna Charta, is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardin ...

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

at the Royal Exchange in London (painted 1900, restored 2001). File:Pygmalion and Galatea (Normand).jpg, ''Pygmalion and Galatea,'' 1886 File:Esther Denouncing Haman.jpg, ''Esther Denouncing Haman,'' 1888 File:Normand, Ernest - Bondage - 1890.jpg, ''Bondage,'' 1890 File:Ernest Normand - Pandora 1899.jpg, ''Pandora,'' 1899 File:Normand, Ernest - Queen Vashti deposed - 1890.jpg, ''Queen Vashti Deposed,'' 1890 Select list of paintings and illustrations * ''Pygmalion and Galatea,'' 1886 * ''Esther Denouncing Haman,'' 1888 * ''Death of Pharaoh's First Born,'' (illustration), 1905 * ''Queen Vashti Deposed,'' 1890

References

External links

British PaintingsNormand Artwork analysis
{{DEFAULTSORT:Normand, Ernest 1857 births 1923 deaths 19th-century English painters English male painters 20th-century English painters Académie Julian alumni English Orientalist painters 20th-century English male artists 19th-century English male artists

Life and career

Work

See also

References

External links