Michael Gilbery was a British portrait painter and teacher whose career combined technical assurance with a sensitive understanding of character. Born in London as Michael Goldberg, he trained at St Martin’s School of Art (1928-1932) before continuing his studies at the Royal College of Art until 1935.
His teachers included Sir William Rothenstein, Gilbert Spencer, Vivian Pitchforth, and Percy Horton, who praised him for his "facility for obtaining a likeness combined with a lively and sympathetic handling".
Gilbery first attracted national attention at the remarkable age of seventeen when a portrait of his father was accepted and hung at the Royal Academy - an exceptional achievement for such a young artist. At this time, he was exhibiting under his birth name, Michael Goldberg. Early press coverage celebrated him as part of a promising new generation of Anglo-Jewish artists emerging from London’s East End, and his early work included Jewish subjects and scenes of community life, some of which were shown at the Whitechapel Art Gallery in 1932.
Throughout the 1930s, he established himself as a gifted and versatile portraitist. In 1936, he was commissioned to contribute to the Royal Historic Cavalcade celebrating the coronation of King George VI, producing large decorative works for the West End stores alongside other young artists. His reputation continued to grow, and his paintings were exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy and with the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.
During the Second World War period, he changed his surname from Goldberg to Gilbery, the name under which he exhibited for the remainder of his career. Post-war, he worked primarily on commissioned portraits, producing accomplished likenesses of professional sitters, civic figures, and private clients. His approach was classical and respectful, yet infused with a quiet warmth that avoided stiffness or over-formality.
Gilbery also taught for periods during his career, passing on the solid academic grounding he had received at the RCA. Though never a flamboyant modernist, he maintained a loyal following for his reliable draughtsmanship. He remained active well into later life, leaving behind a body of work that forms a thoughtful record of mid-20th-century British portraiture.
Known For
Portraiture; Jewish subjects in early career; Royal Academy exhibitions.
Student Of
Sir William Rothenstein, Gilbert Spencer, Percy Horton, Vivian Pitchforth.
Lived In
London
Historical Context
Inter-war and post-war British portrait tradition; Anglo-Jewish artistic circles of London.
Public Collections
Examples of his work are held in various private and institutional collections in Britain, with works exhibited at the Royal Academy and Royal Society of Portrait Painters.
Timeline
1913
Born in London as Michael Goldberg.
1928-1932
Studied at St Martin’s School of Art.
1930
At age 17, a portrait of his father was exhibited at the Royal Academy, bringing early national attention.
1932
Exhibited Jewish scenes at the Whitechapel Art Gallery.
1932-1935
Studied at the Royal College of Art under Rothenstein, Spencer, Horton, and Pitchforth.
1936
Commissioned to contribute paintings to the Royal Historic Coronation Cavalcade for King George VI.
Late 1930s
Established himself as a professional portrait painter in London.
Early 1940s
Changed his surname from Goldberg to Gilbery.
1940s-1960s
Regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy and Royal Society of Portrait Painters; works mainly on private portrait commissions.
1970s-1980s
Continued professional practice with an emphasis on commissioned portraiture.
2000
Died in London.
Described By Others
Percy Horton wrote of him that he possessed "a facility for obtaining a likeness combined with a lively and sympathetic handling" - a succinct summary of the qualities that defined his work throughout a long and steady career.