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Hubert von HerkomerGerman and English artist, graphic artist, illustrator, writer
Date of Birth: 26.05.1849
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Hubert von Herkomer: A German-English Artist, Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Writer, and Filmmaker
Hubert von Herkomer was a German-English artist, graphic designer, illustrator, writer, and filmmaker, as well as one of the pioneers of motorsport in Germany. He was born as the only child in an intellectual family, with his father being an artist, sculptor, and furniture designer, and his mother being a music teacher. In 1851, the family moved to the United States, but they returned to Europe and settled in Southampton, England in 1857.
Early Life and Education
Herkomer did not attend school and instead received education from his father. In 1863-1864, he studied at an art school and graduated with a bronze medal. In 1865, Herkomer and his father traveled to Munich, where they lived in cramped conditions with the hope that the young man would be admitted to the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. However, in order to study in Bavaria for an extended period, he needed to change his British citizenship to a local one, which also meant the possibility of being drafted into the Bavarian army. Therefore, in 1866, the Herkomers returned to England.
In 1866-1867, Herkomer studied at the South Kensington School of Art. In 1868, he moved to Chelsea, London, where he initially lived in extreme poverty and had to pawn his belongings. In 1869, Herkomer began collaborating with the newly established newspaper, The Graphic, which brought him his first success as an artist. For several decades, he primarily worked as a graphic designer, illustrator, and caricaturist. However, after the success of his painting "The Last Muster" at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1875, Herkomer became a well-known artist.
Career and Achievements
In 1870, Herkomer spent the summer in Normandy, where he produced many artworks. In 1880, he co-founded the Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers, aimed at popularizing graphic art among the general public. In 1883, he opened an art school in Bushey, which he led until 1904. In 1885-1886, Herkomer embarked on a five-month trip to the United States, during which he fell seriously ill but managed to paint 34 portraits. Later, he taught at the University of Oxford.
Herkomer's early works were predominantly focused on social themes, but from 1881 onwards, he primarily worked as a portraitist, creating hundreds of portraits of his contemporaries. In his later period, he also engaged in graphic design, photography, and jewelry art. In 1905, Herkomer, an avid car enthusiast, sponsored a car rally across Germany, which continued in 1906 and 1907, and contributed to the popularity of motorsport in Germany.
In 1907, Hubert Herkomer was knighted by King Edward VI, becoming Sir Hubert von Herkomer. Since 1889, he had been a knight of the Legion of Honour. In 1896, he became a Commodore of the Royal Victorian Order, and in 1899, he received the Prussian Order "Pour le Mérite". Herkomer received numerous gold medals for his artistic works at exhibitions and competitions in Munich (1879, 1885), Sydney (small gold medal, 1880), Vienna (1883, 1888), Berlin (1886), Paris (1889), Chicago (1892), Brussels (1898), and was awarded the Honorary Medal in Paris (1878). He was a member of the Berlin Academy of Arts from 1885 and the Royal Academy of Arts in Britain from 1890. He was also a member of six other European academies and national art societies.
