Why do they think that an artist should be eternally hungry and unrecognized by his contemporaries? Many believe that only an outcast, or a poor man, is able to convey his strong emotions to the viewer, to convey a certain truth. Our hero was a respectable gentleman, his work was appreciated at court, and noble people were proud to meet him. However, the drama of his life is worthy of attention, and the pictures amazingly convey the feelings of a person.
Childhood
Judge Robert Collier lived in London. He held the title of Baron Moxwell and was very wealthy. This man had two passions: painting and wife. The first allowed him to become a member of the Royal Society of British Artists, and the second, in 1850, gave him a son, who was named John.
A wealthy and enlightened father encouraged the boy when he became interested in drawing. The child was given a comprehensive education, he had access to a rich home library. Parents did not plan his future for him and sought to give him such a baggage of knowledge that any profession was within John's reach. As a teenager, he was sent to study in college, and then continued his studies in Germany in order to better master foreign languages.
Youth
Collier Jr. himself chose the higher educational institution in which he wanted to enter, it was the famous University of Heidelberg. The student planned to realize himself in diplomacy. In addition to attending lectures, the young man continued to practice painting. The time to change everything came in 1875.
The twenty-five-year-old went to Munich to study at the local art academy. Having received a diploma, our hero realized that he had mastered only the basics of art, he wanted more. John Collier returned to England, where he learned from Edward Poynter, and then went to Paris to study with Jean-Paul Laurent. The family was delighted that their Johnny decided to pursue a career as a painter. The father approved of the choice of the son of mentors - they were respected masters.
Pre-Raphaelite
Returning home, John Collier quickly became acquainted with the leading painters of England. John Everett Millais made a strong impression on him. This gentleman stood at the origins of such a movement in art as the Pre-Raphaelites. These innovators suggested turning to ancient myths and legends, but conveying images in an original manner. It is curious that their revolutionary work did not meet with any condemnation in society, it quickly gained popularity and the love of the people and representatives of the authorities.
At the time when Collier took his first steps in painting, Millet renounced the ideals of the Pre-Raphaelites. This did not prevent his young admirer from repeating not only some of his techniques, but also from trying to equip the workshop so that it resembled the office of his idol. Still, John's plots and style were original. This was appreciated by his colleagues, and he soon became a member of the Royal Organization of British Artists.
First marriage
In the circles of the enlightened aristocracy, where Collier moved, fate brought him together with Thomas Henry Huxley. He was a zoologist and supporter of the theory of evolution. In scientific controversy, he was so ferocious that he earned the nickname "Darwin's Bulldog." This man's family was also unusual - his daughters were professionally engaged in painting. John liked the eldest of the talented sisters Marion. In 1879 they became husband and wife.
The artist's personal life inspired him. Strong and independent heroines in the paintings resembled his mistress. After the birth of her daughter Joyce, Marion fell ill. The unhappy husband persuaded her to give up everything and immediately go to Paris for treatment. The woman did so, but her weakened body could not stand the road. Arriving in the capital of France in 1887, she died of pneumonia. Joyce, when he grows up and learns the biography of his mother, will become a painter herself.
Only forward
Being a widower with a baby in her arms is not the best prospect for an artist. Collier decided to use a spare Huxley - to marry the younger sister of the late Marion Ethel. The father of the family was not against such a union, but, according to the English laws of the time, such a "wedding of close relatives" was prohibited. John and Ethel left for Norway and returned with a marriage document.
Collier's canvases, which were dominated by heroic and mythological subjects, were very popular among the British nobility. A number of important persons commissioned their portraits to the painter. When Edward VII ascended the throne in 1901 after the death of Queen Victoria, golden times began for our hero. Unlike his conservative predecessor, the young monarch did not hesitate to express his enthusiasm for the very daring works of John Collier, who by that time had become vice-president of the Royal Academy of Arts.
last years of life
By old age, as a rule, a person seeks peace. This statement was misleading in relation to John Collier. Our hero, even in his advanced years, knew how to shock the public. So a number of his canvases during the First World War were criticized by moralists for being too natural. In love with English romance, the author of the paintings adhered to progressive views.
John Collier died in April 1934. His contribution to the popularization of English culture is undeniable. During the artist's lifetime, reproductions of his paintings were distributed on photographs. Today they are known to everyone.
