Keeping with the spirit of March and St. Patrick's Day, how appropriate to honor John Lavery - an Irish painter!
Sir John Lavery, born on March 20, 1856 in Belfast, was orphaned as an infant. He was raised by a variety of distant relatives. As a teenager, he apprenticed to a Glasgow photographer while attending classes at Haldane Academy. A perpetual student, he trained at Heatherleys in London, and in the 1880s, he moved to Paris where he studied at the Académie Julian and Atelier Colarossi. He was inspired by the French artist, Jules Bastien-Lepage to pursue plein-air painting and the naturalist style.
In 1885, he returned to Glasgow where he became one of the leading members of the Glasgow School. Two years later, he helped Whistler found the International Society where Lavery served as a Vice President. He was appointed Official War Artist to the Royal Navy in 1917, and he was knighted the following year.
His travels to Morocco, Italy, Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands inspired many of his works. Before WWII, Lavery traveled to Hollywood where he painted many celebrities. Sir John Lavery died on January 10, 1941 in Kilmoganny, Ireland.
Lavery is most known for his realistic portraits, genre scenes, and landscapes. His signature style is similar to Whistler - a sketch-like quality with emphasized brushstrokes.
