John George Todd | Genre painter

Henry George Todd (1847-1898) was an English artist active in Suffolk.

Henry was the son of George Todd (1820-1904), a painter and decorator and grainer to whom he became apprenticed.

In 1865 he attended art school and later progressed onto the Royal College of Art.

After a period working in his father's decoration and gilding business in Bury St Edmund's when both Henry and his father George exhibited their works in the Todd's St Andrew's Street North shop.

About the age of 27 Henry came to Ipswich and entered the employ of Alfred Stearn and Son, the then most important decorating company in the town, working in design, decoration, and gilding, being commissioned by local traders for their shopfronts which were considered by many as works of art.

Although Henry was working full time, he still found time to paint his still life pictures and Suffolk landscapes and in 1871, was an artist, boarding with Mary Schulen, pottery manufacturer at 1 Rope Walk, Ipswich.

An artist being particularly famous for his still-life and his ability to paint grapes, and was a member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club 1885-1897 and exhibited from 14 Waterloo Road, Ipswich in 1883, three works 'Stone Lodge Lane', 'To Beach Farm' and 'Stone Lodge Lane from the Fields' and was frequent exhibitor, his oils 'Still Life, Fruit' and 'Bull's Head' were on display at their centenary exhibition in 1974 also showing at the Bury St Edmund's Fine Art Society in 1880 three still life pictures of fruit and in 1882 'Gainsborough's Lane' and in 1889 at the Woodbridge Art Exhibition at the Assembly Room, Bull Hotel, Woodbridge he had several oils on show.

He also exhibited one painting at the Royal Academy also showing at the Suffolk Street Gallery of the Royal Society of British Artists, and the Dudley Gallery 1885-1898 from 46 Croft Street, Ipswich.

Henry George Todd died at Croft Street, Ipswich on 30 June 1898, aged 51 and was buried in Ipswich cemetery five days later. He signed his work 'H. G. Todd'.

Henry George Todd (1847-1898) è stato un artista Britannico attivo nel Suffolk.

Henry era figlio di George Todd (1820-1904), pittore, decoratore e granaio, presso il quale divenne apprendista.

All'età di 18 anni, Henry si iscrisse ad una scuola d'arte ed i suoi progressi determinarono che studiò alla South Kensington Schools, ora Royal College of Art.

All'inizio del suo viaggio alla scoperta di se stesso come artista, Todd si trasferisce ad Ecouen, in Francia, e viene preso sotto l'ala del collega Chialiva.

Qui entrò a far parte di una fiorente comunità artistica.

Si stabilisce in rue de la Beauvette accanto all'artista Auguste Schenck.

La casa di Todd era conosciuta come la più artistica della città, splendidamente decorata ed arredata con tessuti, manufatti, oggetti, bronzi e porcellane cinesi.

Nel suo atelier aveva dipinto una scena rurale di un ragazzo ed una ragazza che guardavano verso una città lontana illuminata dagli ultimi raggi del sole al tramonto.

Ad Ecouen, nella sua serra e nel suo giardino, Todd coltivava la maggior parte dei fiori che troviamo nei suoi dipinti.

Emile Zola lo elogiò calorosamente per questo e per i suoi dipinti di "nature morte" esposti al Salon del Palais des Champs Elysées del 1866.

John George divenne uno dei grandi specialisti delle "nature morte" e fu conosciuto come "l'uomo che dipinge i fiori".

Per questo motivo fu invitato ad esporre alla Royal Academy nel 1888 ed in altre gallerie londinesi.

Espose un dipinto alla Royal Academy, espose anche alla Suffolk Street Gallery della Royal Society of British Artists ed alla Dudley Gallery 1885-1898 da 46 Croft Street, Ipswich.

La considerazione di Todd era tale che al funerale della moglie parteciparono moltissimi artisti, tra cui Thomas Couture, Auguste Schenck, Paul Soyer, Otto Weber, Theophile Duverger, Auffray, Dansaert, Hugo e Seignac.