George Lothian Hall was an accomplished British landscape painter working predominantly in watercolours.
Heaving waves, frothing with turmoil, slam into a dark charcoal coast. Above, a trivial glimpse of blue is swamped by storm clouds - vigorous, rapid, and sublime. Hall painted a Turner-esque vision of nature. Capturing expansive views with vast irrepressible skies.
Unlike many of his British contemporaries, he travelled extensively, particularly during the early part of his career. Spending a year in Gibraltar while in his teens, painting sun-drenched coastlines peppered with sailboats. Later moving to Brazil, its shimmering beaches sketched during the haze of Summer.
Born into a wealthy family, Hall was afforded the luxury of overseas adventures. Numerous works depict the ocean, his sketchbook was always close to hand. He was at sea so often that his wife, Emma, gave birth to their son during a voyage in 1854. They’d married in Rio de Janeiro two years prior and had nine children in quick succession. Laziness was absent from his vocabulary.
Perhaps it was the rigours of family life that brought them back home as during the 1850s, the pair settled in London. He began to exhibit extensively, including at The Royal Academy, debuting with a classically inspired view of Inga Nictherohy. It was reminiscent of the early 19th-century British watercolourists - Copley Fielding (1787-1855) with palm trees.
By 1861, he’d settled in Kensington, London, with Emma and his children. The pair employed two servants and his career was flourishing. All was well until tragically his wife passed away a few months after the birth of their ninth child. An impossible time, he continued to work while taking on added responsibilities. He didn’t remarry until ten years later.
When into his mid-50s, perhaps seeking a quieter lifestyle, Hall moved to the Welsh coast. The energetic Irish Sea portrayed with spirit and mood-enhancing washes. He died in Bangor in 1888.
A restless creative observing the world through his sketchbook.
Today, George Lothian Hall is represented at the British Museum, V&A, and the Yale Center for British Art.
Exhibited
Dudley Gallery in London, Royal Academy in London, Royal Society of British Artists, Portland Gallery in London.
Public Collections
British Museum, V&A, Yale Center for British Art.
Timeline
1825
Born in Liverpool to John and Charlotte.
1843
Travelled to Gibraltar.
1848-54
Travelled to Brazil.
1852
Married to Emma Elizabeth Lukin in Rio de Janeiro. The couple would have nine children.
1856
Travelled to Ireland.
Debuted at the Royal Academy with ‘At Inga Nictherohy, Rio de Janeiro’. He exhibited seven works between 1856 and 1875.
1861
Lived in Kensington, London, with his wife, six children and two servants.
1865
Death of wife, Emma Elizabeth Hall.
1871
Lived in Paddington, London with five children and two servants.
1875
Married to Caroline Amelia Serjeant in Brighton.
1880
Moved to Wales.
1881
Boarding in Llandysilio, Anglesey, Wales.
1888
Died in Bangor, Wales.