Arthur Croft Mitchell was an English artist predominately known for scenes, history painting, landscapes and still lifes. His spellbinding works are often enigmatic and steeped in suggestion.
Born in Birmingham, Mitchell's early development as an artist owes much to his kindly maternal uncle who encouraged the young aspirant while also caring for his widowed mother. As such, he was able to commit to studying art full-time, soon enrolling at the renowned Slade School of Fine Art. He was tutored by Frederic Brown, Henry Tonks and Philip Wilson Steer, with fellow students including Harold Gilman, William Orpen, and the photographer Charles Beresford.
Following his graduation, he headed for the bright lights and buzzing ateliers of Montparnasse, Paris, studying at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere. Here, he was immersed into a complex, ever-evolving, artistic ecosystem where Cézanne, Bonnard and Renoir were long established.
In 1907, Mitchell debuted at the Royal Academy with 'The Passing of Arthur', a suitably theatrical scene induced by his predilection for medieval folklore. It's conceivable that, much like the Pre-Raphaelites, he was enraptured by the gushing prose of Alfred Lord Tennyson's 'Idylls of the King'. A year later, he was shown at the Royal Albert Hall.
From a compositional point of view, his scenes are underpinned by an admiration for the 17th-century Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675). There's an intelligent sense of interplay between the horizontal and vertical planes.
By 1913, with his career now established, he worked with the architect Charles R G Hall to design a grand property at 32 Mallord Street, Chelsea, London - at the heart of a thriving artistic milieu.
As with many artists of his generation, World War I brought with it an altogether graver impetus and Mitchell was soon called upon to assist at the Foreign Office. He was, for a time, working as a temporary ministerial secretary in Copenhagen. The War took its toll on his eyesight and following his return to full-time painting in 1920, he produced predominantly landscapes and still lifes.
In 1926, he married Evelyn Violet Ware in Brompton, London, who soon became his muse, and the two lived together at Mallord Street, where he remained until his death in 1956.
Arthur Croft Mitchell blended the precision of a Dutch master with a furtive imagination fuelled by an exuberance for storytelling. His works often allude to a secondary narrative for those who care to peek under the surface aesthetic.
Exhibited
Royal Academy, Paris Salon, East Sussex Arts Club, New English Art Club.
Public Collections
Gallery Oldham.
Timeline
1872
Born in Birmingham to Manoah Mitchell, a merchant, and Fanny Mitchell (nee Croft).
1898
Studied under Frederic Brown, Henry Tonks and Philip Wilson Steer at the Slade School.
Studied at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in Paris.
1901
Lived in Wadhurst, Sussex, with his mother, siblings and staff.
1907
Debuted at the Royal Academy with ‘The Passing of Arthur’. He exhibited five works between 1907 and 1931.
1908
Shown at the Albert Hall, London.
1911
Lived in Wadhurst, Sussex, with his mother and sister. Occupation recorded as ‘Artist’.
1913
Built ‘Vale End’ at 32 Mallord Street, Chelsea, London, which was designed by the architect Charles R G Hall.
1916
Appointed temporary Secretary to HM Minister at Copenhagen.
1919
Appointed temporary Clerk in the Foreign Office, London.
1920
Returned to painting full-time.
1926
Married Evelyn Violet Ware at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton, London.
1956
Died in Chelsea, London.