Joseph William Comyns Carr (1 March 1849 – 12 December 1916), often referred to as J. Comyns Carr, was an English drama and art critic, gallery director, author, poet, playwright and theatre manager. Beginning his career as an art critic, Carr was a vigorous advocate for Pre-Raphaelite art and a vocal critic of the "short-sighted" art establishment. In 1877 he became a director of the

Grosvenor Gallery The Grosvenor Gallery was an art gallery in London founded in 1877 by Sir Coutts Lindsay and his wife Blanche. Its first directors were J. Comyns Carr and Charles Hallé. The gallery proved crucial to the Aesthetic Movement because it provid ...

and promoting Pre-Raphaelite painters and other important exhibitors, such as

James McNeill Whistler James Abbott McNeill Whistler (; July 10, 1834July 17, 1903) was an American painter in oils and watercolor, and printmaker, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He eschewed sentimentality and moral a ...

Dante Gabriel Rossetti Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti ( ; ), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator, and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brother ...

and

Edward Burne-Jones Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, (; 28 August 183317 June 1898) was an English painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter. Burne-Jones worked with William Morris as a founding part ...

. Ten years later he founded the rival New Gallery. Carr also wrote essays, books, plays, librettos, English-language adaptations of foreign works and stage adaptations of Dickens novels and classic tales like ''King Arthur'' and ''Faust''.

Early life and family

J. Comyns Carr was born in

Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also ) is an area in London, England, and is located in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. Oxford Street forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropo ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

, England, the seventh of ten children. His parents were Jonathan Carr, a woollen draper, and his Irish wife, Catherine Grace Comyns. Kate Comyns Carr, his sister, became a portrait artist; his brother Jonathan Carr developed the world's first garden suburb Bedford Park. Comyns Carr was educated at Bruce Castle School,

Tottenham Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...

, from 1862 to 1865.Esposito, Anthony.
"Carr, Joseph William Comyns (1849–1916)"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 7 October 2008, He studied law at the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

and graduated in 1869, beginning to practise at the bar at the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

, London. He soon gave up law for a career in journalism and became drama critic for the ''Echo''.Biography of Carr at the Whistler website
In 1873 in

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

, Carr married author Alice Laura Vansittart née Strettell (1850–1927), a novelist and designer. Alice designed the bold costume that

Ellen Terry Dame Alice Ellen Terry (27 February 184721 July 1928) was a leading English actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born into a family of actors, Terry began performing as a child, acting in Shakespeare plays in London, and toured ...

wore as Lady Macbeth, and in which

John Singer Sargent John Singer Sargent (; January 12, 1856 – April 15, 1925) was an American expatriate artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian era, Edwardian-era luxury. He created roughly 900 oil ...

painted her in 1889. Sargent also painted Mrs. Comyns Carr in 1889 and several portraits of her sister,

Alma Alma or ALMA may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Alma'' (film), a 2009 Spanish short animated film * ''Alma'', an upcoming film by Sally Potter * ''Alma'' (Oswald de Andrade novel), 1922 * ''Alma'' (Le Clézio novel), 2017 * ''Alma'' ( ...

, and illustrated Alma's ''Spanish and Italian Folk-Songs'' in 1897. Carr and his wife had three children: Philip, Dorothy and

Arthur Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

and Liberal Member of Parliament). Carr was a member of the

Arts Club The Arts Club is a London private members' club in Dover Street, Mayfair, founded in 1863 by Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope, and Lord Leighton among others. It remains a meeting place for men and women involved in the creative arts either p ...

and the

Garrick Club The Garrick Club is a private members' club in London, founded in 1831 as a club for "actors and men of refinement to meet on equal terms". It is one of the oldest members' clubs in the world. Its 1,500 members include many actors, writers, ...

. He published two memoirs: ''Some Eminent Victorians'' (1908), and ''Coasting Bohemia'' (1914).

Career

Art

In 1873, Carr became an art critic for the ''

Pall Mall Gazette ''The Pall Mall Gazette'' was an evening newspaper founded in London on 7 February 1865 by George Murray Smith; its first editor was Frederick Greenwood. In 1921, '' The Globe'' merged into ''The Pall Mall Gazette'', which itself was absorbed i ...

''. The same year, in ''The Globe'', he wrote a series of widely read articles about contemporary artists.

took notice of these and befriended him. Carr was a strong critic of the art establishment, decrying what he saw as its short-sightedness. In 1875 he was engaged in 1875 by the influential French journal ''L'Art'' as its English editor. In 1881–83, he founded and edited ''Art and Letters''. As the first editor from 1883 to 1886 of ''

The English Illustrated Magazine ''The English Illustrated Magazine'' was a monthly publication that ran for 359 issues between October 1883 and August 1913. Features included travel, topography, and a large amount of fiction and were contributed by writers such as Thomas Hardy ...

''. He also wrote for a number of other journals including the ''Art Journal'', ''Saturday Review'', the ''Examiner'', the ''World'' and the ''

Manchester Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''. Carr wrote books and articles about art championing the

Pre-Raphaelite The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB), later known as the Pre-Raphaelites, was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, ...

school of art, as well as monographic works on artists such as

, Frederick Walker and

Sir Hubert von Herkomer Sir Hubert von Herkomer (born as Hubert Herkomer; 26 May 1849 – 31 March 1914) was a Bavarian-born British painter, pioneering film-director, and composer. Though a very successful portrait artist, especially of men, he is mainly remembered fo ...

. Carr and

Charles Hallé Sir Charles Hallé (born Karl Halle; 11 April 181925 October 1895) was a Prussian and British pianist and conductor. In 1858, he founded the Hallé Orchestra. Life Charles Frederick Hallé was born Carl Friederich Halle on 10 April 1819 in H ...

were appointed co-directors of the

in 1877 by Sir Coutts Lindsay. The gallery promoted Pre-Raphaelite painters and exhibited provocative work.

, Rossetti and Burne-Jones exhibited frequently at the Grosvenor Gallery. In 1887, Carr and Hallé resigned from that gallery (which closed in 1890), after a dispute with Lindsay, and quickly founded the rival New Gallery, capturing Burne-Jones and most of the Grosvenor Gallery's other important artists. Carr continued as co-director until 1908. He also wrote the introduction to the British section of the 1911 International Exhibition of Fine Arts at Rome and later was chosen as the English representative to the Art Congress.

Theatre

Carr was also the author of dramatic works, beginning with several light comedies in the early 1880s for the

German Reed Entertainments The German Reed Entertainments were founded in 1855 and operated by Thomas German Reed (1817–1888) together with his wife, Priscilla German Reed (née Horton) (1818–1895). At a time when the theatre in London was seen as a disreput ...

at St George's Hall. He also wrote numerous plays and adapted a number of French plays, such as '' Frou-Frou'', produced at the

Princess's Theatre, London The Princess's Theatre or Princess Theatre was a theatre in Oxford Street, London. The building opened in 1828 as the "Queen's Bazaar" and housed a diorama by Clarkson Stanfield and David Roberts. It was converted into a theatre and opened in 18 ...

(1881); a stage adaptation of '' Far From the Madding Crowd'' co-authored with Thomas Hardy (1881); Hugh Conway's ''Called Back'' (1884), which was very successful for the actor–manager

Herbert Beerbohm Tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and Actor-manager, theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End theatre, West End, winning ...

; ''Dark Days''; ''Boys Together''; ''In the Days of the Duke''; ''A Fireside Hamlet''; ''The United Pair''; ''The Naturalist'' (1887, an operetta with music by Charles King Hall); ''The Friar''; and ''Forgiveness''. At the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in ...

from 1887 to 1893, Carr acted as Tree's literary adviser and partner. Mrs

Carr leased the

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

from 1893 to 1896. At the same time, his ''King Arthur'' (1895), a

blank verse Blank verse is poetry written with regular metre (poetry), metrical but rhyme, unrhymed lines, usually in iambic pentameter. It has been described as "probably the most common and influential form that English poetry has taken since the 16th cen ...

play inspired by the writings of

Thomas Malory Sir Thomas Malory was an English writer, the author of ''Le Morte d'Arthur'', the classic English-language chronicle of the Arthurian legend, compiled and in most cases translated from French sources. The most popular version of ''Le Morte d'A ...

and

Alfred Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (; 6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of ...

, as well as by the visual images of the Pre-Raphaelites, was produced by

Henry Irving Sir Henry Irving (6 February 1838 – 13 October 1905), christened John Henry Brodribb, sometimes known as J. H. Irving, was an English stage actor in the Victorian era, known as an actor-manager because he took complete responsibility ( ...

in the Lyceum Theatre. It starred Irving and

, with music composed by

Arthur Sullivan Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (13 May 1842 – 22 November 1900) was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera, operatic Gilbert and Sullivan, collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including ''H.M.S. Pinaf ...

and sets, costumes and artwork designed by Carr's friend Edward Burne-Jones. This spectacular production was a success for Irving and ran for over 100 performances, also touring North America. Another play that year was ''Delia Harding'', an adaptation of a

Victorien Sardou Victorien Sardou ( , ; 5 September 1831 – 8 November 1908) was a French dramatist. He is best remembered today for his development, along with Eugène Scribe, of the well-made play. He also wrote several plays that were made into popular 19th-c ...

play, at the

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

. Also for Irving's company, in 1897 he produced an English version of '' Madame Sans-Gêne'' by Sardou and Émile Moreau in 1897, which played on both sides of the Atlantic. Carr also dramatised ''The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' in 1910, starring H. B. Irving at Queen's Theatre. Carr collaborated with

Arthur Wing Pinero Sir Arthur Wing Pinero (24 May 1855 – 23 November 1934) was an English playwright and, early in his career, actor. Pinero was drawn to the theatre from an early age, and became a professional actor at the age of 19. He gained experience as a ...

and Arthur Sullivan on '' The Beauty Stone'', an opera billed as a "romantic musical drama", at the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy ...

in 1898. The Faustian theme was not what the Savoy audiences were used to, and the piece never found an audience. Carr's adaptation of ''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens. It was originally published as a serial from 1837 to 1839 and as a three-volume book in 1838. The story follows the titular orphan, who, ...

'' was produced by

at His Majesty's Theatre, London (1905). It was also produced on Broadway in 1905 and 1912. From 1899 to 1904, after Irving transferred control of the Lyceum, Carr managed the theatre. Carr's ''Tristram and Iseult'' (1906), a pseudo-medieval drama, was produced at the

Adelphi Theatre The Adelphi Theatre is a West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster, central London. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiv ...

starring Matheson Lang,

Lily Brayton Elizabeth "Lily" Brayton (23 June 1876 – 30 April 1953) was an English actress and singer, known for her performances in Shakespeare plays and for her nearly 2,000 performances in the First World War hit musical ''Chu Chin Chow''. Early life ...

and

Oscar Asche John Stange(r) Heiss Oscar Asche (24 January 1871 – 23 March 1936) was an Australian actor, director, and writer, best known for having written, directed, and acted in the record-breaking musical '' Chu Chin Chow'', both on stage and fil ...

. An adaptation of Dickens' ''

The Mystery of Edwin Drood ''The Mystery of Edwin Drood'' is the final novel by English author Charles Dickens, originally published in 1870. Though the novel is named after the character Edwin Drood, it focuses more on Drood's uncle, John Jasper, a precentor, choirm ...

'' (1907) was produced by Tree in Cardiff. Carr's theory of the play was that Jasper, under the influence of opium, attempted to act upon his murderous impulses, but Drood, overhearing his uncle's ravings, was able to escape. This was followed by an adaptation of Goethe's ''

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

'', for Tree in 1908, in collaboration with

Stephen Phillips Stephen Phillips (28 July 1864 – 9 December 1915) was an English poet and dramatist, who enjoyed considerable popularity early in his career. Biography He was born at Summertown near Oxford, the son of the Rev. Stephen Phillips, precento ...

. At the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

in 1913–14, Carr was artistic adviser. A fan of

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

, Carr was responsible for the first English performance of Wagner's ''

Parsifal ''Parsifal'' ( WWV 111) is a music drama in three acts by the German composer Richard Wagner and his last composition. Wagner's own libretto for the work is freely based on the 13th-century Middle High German chivalric romance ''Parzival'' of th ...

'' in 1914 at Covent Garden.

Death

Carr died of cancer at the age of 67 at his home in

South Kensington South Kensington is a district at the West End of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with the advent of the ra ...

, London. He was buried in

Highgate Cemetery Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in North London, England, designed by architect Stephen Geary. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East sides. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for so ...

Books by Carr

*''Drawings by the Old Masters'', 1877
''The Abbey Church of St Albans''
1877 *''Examples of Contemporary Art'', 1878
''Essays on Art''
1879 *''Hubert Herkomer'', 1882 *''Art in Provincial France'', 1883 *''Frederick Walker: An Essay'', 1885
''Papers on Art''
1885
''Exhibition of Works of Sir Edward Burne-Jones''
1898
''Some Eminent Victorians; Personal Recollections in the World of Art and Letters''
1908 *''Coasting Bohemia'', 1914 *''The Ideals of Painting'', 1917 (published posthumously).

Notes

References

*Bénézit, E., ''Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs'', 8 vols, Paris, 1956–61. *Carr, Alice Vansittart Strettell. ''J. Comyns Carr: Stray Memories by His Wife'', London, 1920
available online here
*Carr, Alice Vansittart Strettell. ''Mrs. J. Comyns Carr's Reminiscences'', ed. E. Adam, London, 1926. *Carr, J. C. ''Some eminent Victorians: personal recollections in the world of art and letters'' (1908) *Carr, J. C. ''Coasting Bohemia'' (1914) *Casteras, Susan P., Colleen Denney (eds.) ''The Grosvenor Gallery: A Palace of Art in Victorian England'', Yale University Press (1996) *Ward, Humphrey Thomas.
''Men of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporaries''
G. Routledge and sons, London 1887

External links

* *
Libretti to two Carr stage works
* * *
Photos from Comyns Carr's play ''Oliver Twist''
* *
Drawings of CarrLetters to Carr
{{DEFAULTSORT:Comyns Carr, Joseph Williams 1849 births 1916 deaths Burials at Highgate Cemetery Alumni of the University of London English art critics English magazine editors Members of the Inner Temple People educated at Bruce Castle School English opera librettists People associated with Gilbert and Sullivan People from Marylebone Writers from the City of Westminster Deaths from cancer in England English male dramatists and playwrights English male non-fiction writers