George Elgar Hicks (English , 1824-1914)
Watercolor on paper, signed with monogram
Painting size:12" x 9"
Frame size: 26" x 21"
A London painter of genre, portraits and scenes of Victorian life, Hicks studied to be a doctor, but changed to painting, entering the Royal Academy schools in 1844. He exhibited from 1848-1905 at the Royal Academy, the British Institute, Grosvenor Gallery, and the Society of British Artists (Suffolk Street). The success of “Dividend Day at the Bank” in 1859 led Hicks to attempt more scenes of contemporary life such as “The Post Office”(1860) and “Billingsgate”(1861) in the colorful style of Frith. These brought Hicks great popularity but he turned later to portraits and biblical and historical genre. As a society portrait painter, Hicks was much in demand.
Stewart, Brian & Cutten, Mervyn. The Dictionary of Portrait Painters in Britain up to 1920
Wood, Christopher. Dictionary of British Art. Vol. IV, Victorian Painters