Glyn Warren Philpot by Glyn Warren Philpot

Glyn Warren Philpot (5 October 188416 December 1937) was a British painter and sculptor, best known for his portraits of contemporary figures such as

Siegfried Sassoon Siegfried Loraine Sassoon (8 September 1886 – 1 September 1967) was an English war poet, writer, and soldier. Decorated for bravery on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front, he became one of the leading poets of the First World ...

and

Vladimir Rosing Vladimir Sergeyevich Rosing () (November 24, 1963), also known as Val Rosing, was a Russian-born operatic tenor and stage director who spent most of his professional career in the United Kingdom and the United States. In his formative years he ex ...

Early life

Philpot was born in

Clapham Clapham () is a district in south London, south west London, England, lying mostly within the London Borough of Lambeth, but with some areas (including Clapham Common) extending into the neighbouring London Borough of Wandsworth. History Ea ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, but the family moved to Herne in Kent shortly afterwards. Philpot grew up to be both a gay man, and a practising Christian who converted to

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. Philpot studied at the

Lambeth School of Art Founded in 1854 as the Lambeth School of Art, the City and Guilds of London Art School is a small specialist art college located in central London, England. Originally founded as a government art school, it is now an independent, not-for-profit ...

(now known as

City and Guilds of London Art School Founded in 1854 as the Lambeth School of Art, the City and Guilds of London Art School is a small specialist art college located in central London, England. Originally founded as a government art school, it is now an independent, not-for-profit ...

) in 1900 where he was taught by Philip Connard, and 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 ...

in Paris.

Career

Philpot first exhibited at the

Royal Academy 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 ...

in 1904 and was elected to that establishment in 1923. He was a member of the International Society from 1913 and in that year he was awarded the gold medal at the Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh. He enjoyed a "comfortable income" from portraiture. He was reported as doing ten or twelve commissions a year, charging between £600 and £3,000 a time. This enabled him to afford to travel to France, Italy, America and North Africa and continue to paint less commercially successful subject pictures. Following the

Symbolist Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...

tradition his subject pictures reflected more personal concerns and contradictions: Philpot converted to Catholicism, yet his interest in the male nude and portraits of young men – thought to be friends, models and lovers – show his gradual acceptance and expression of his own homosexuality. Some of these later works were considered controversial because of their homosexual imagery. Two pieces in particular – ''Guardian of the Flame'' and ''The Great Pan'' (1930) were withdrawn from the

. This led to a loss of popularity which caused him financial hardship. Exhibitions have been held at The

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...

(1938), The

Ashmolean Museum The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology () on Beaumont Street in Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University ...

, The

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

, of which he was a founder member in 1911, and Pallant House Gallery (2022). The 2022 Pallant House Gallery exhibition included a portrait of

Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for h ...

as Othello, hitherto thought lost. Philpot was a member of the

International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers The International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers was a union of professional artists that existed from 1898 to 1925, "To promote the study, practice, and knowledge of sculpture, painting, etching, lithographing, engraving, and kindred ...

Personal life

Philpot was in a relationship with painter Vivian Forbes from 1923 to 1935. A

loving cup A loving cup is a large cup with two arching handles. It can describe a shared drinking container traditionally used at Christian lovefeasts, as well as at weddings and banquets, often made of silver. Loving cups are also given as trophy, trop ...

held by Brighton Museum serves as a testament to their relationship. Philpot died from a stroke in December 1937; his funeral took place on 22 December 1937. Forbes committed suicide the following day. He is buried in a pink granite tomb in St Peter's Churchyard, Petersham, in west London.''Who's Buried Where in London'', by Peter Matthews, Bloomsbury Publishing, 23 Mar 2017, pg 242

Works

Sources

* Delaney, J. G. P. (1999) ''Glyn Philpot: His Life and Art'', Ashgate Publishing * Gibson, Robin (1986) ''Glyn Philpot, 1884–1937: Edwardian Aesthete to Thirties Modernist'', National Portrait Gallery, London

References

External links

*
Brief biography on KnittingCircle.org.uk

{{DEFAULTSORT:Philpot, Glyn 1884 births 1937 deaths People from Clapham Painters from London 19th-century English painters English male painters 20th-century English painters Converts to Roman Catholicism Gay painters Gay sculptors LGBTQ people from London LGBTQ Roman Catholics English gay artists English LGBTQ painters English LGBTQ sculptors Alumni of the City and Guilds of London Art School Académie Julian alumni Royal Academicians Burials at St Peter's, Petersham 20th-century English male artists 19th-century English male artists