Hubert von Herkomer

German-born British artist Hubert Herkomer (the ‘von’ was added later) was a self-taught artist and son of a woodcarver and music teacher. In search of a secure livelihood his family re-settled in England, where Herkomer studied painting at Southampton and the South Kensington Schools. He began his career as an illustrator but soon gained popularity with his paintings that highlighted the lives of the poor. Herkomer turned increasingly towards portrait painting in the 1880s, and he achieved fame and the wealth to build his own house, 'Lululaund' in 1894, a grand Romanesque Revival-style house and studio at Bushey, Hertfordshire. Despite his success as a painter, Herkomer championed printmaking as a medium for originality and supported the efforts of the etcher Sir Francis Seymour Haden, to elevate public perceptions of etching. He notably used his position as Slade Professor of Fine Arts at Oxford to deliver a series of lectures on the subject during the 1880s. In his retirement Herkomer continued to explore artmaking in various media, including mezzotint and enamels. He also ventured into film-directing and musical composition. He achieved a position of public respect and influence through his lecturing and his interest in the struggles of the poor.