Page:Dictionary of Artists of the English School (1878).djvu/240

 HOL

in London in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and is mentioned by Walpoleas an ingenious painter.

HOLLAND, John, engraver. Practised in London in the second half of the 18th century. He engraved some caricatures, but was chiefly engaged on portraits.

HOLLAND, J ames, water-colour paint- er. Born October 17, 1800, at Burslem, where his father was employed in the pottery works, and his family had long been engaged ; he was very early set to work as a dower painter on porcelain and pottery, and in 1819 came to London, where he tried flower painting, and supplemented his small earn- ings by teaching, extending his art to land- scapes, in which ne introduced architecture, and to marine subjects. Making some

Srogress, he first exhibited a group of owers, in 1824, at the Royal Academy, and continued to exhibit flowers up to 1829. About 1830 he visited France, where he made some architectural studies, and on his return produced some works of greater pre- tension, exhibiting at the Academy, in 1833, his * London, from Blackheath.' In 1835 he first appears as an ' associate exhibitor ' at the Water-Colour Society. In 1843, leaving that Society, he was elected a mem- ber of the Society of British Artists ? and remained a member till 1848, but continued to exhibit occasionally at the Royal Aca- demy. In 1856 he was re-elected an associate of the Water-Colour Society, and then exhibited with them, and was in 1858 a full member. He was largely employed upon illustrations by publishers, and pro- duced many works for the Annuals ; for this purpose, in 1836, he visited Venice, returning by Milan, Geneva, and Paris. In 1838 he made a journey to Portugal, and in 1839 exhibited at the Royal Academy a fine painting of Lisbon. He afterwards visited Holland and Normandy, and again Venice. He died February 12, 1870. His works were marked by great delicacy and poetry, his views of Venice glowing with tender colour.

HOLLAND, Sir Nathaniel, Bart., Hi. A., portrait and history painter. See Danob, Nathaniel.

• HOLLAR, Wenoeslavs, engraver. Was born July 15, 1607, at Prague. His family were of the higher order of gentry ; as Protestants they had suffered in for- tune, and their ruin was completed by the confiscations which followed the battle of Prague in 1619. He was educated for the law, but having a love for drawing, he began to study art as a means of mainten- ance at Frankfort, where he had found a refuge, and afterwards at Strasbourg. In 16*25 he published a 'Virgin and Child ' and an ' Ecce Homo/ his two first plates. He then travelled to Antwerp, Cologne, and some of the German cities, returning

HOL

to Cologne. Here the Earl of Arundel saw some of his drawings, took him under his protection, treated nim with great respect, and brought him, on his return, to England in 1637.

His first works in England were his plates of Greenwich and a portrait of his patron, the earl, on horseback. He had apartments in Arundel House, studied uninterruptedly from the noble collection there, was liberally remunerated, and had the good fortune to marry a young gentle- woman, who was under the protection of the countess. His merits were soon recog- nised, and in 1640 he was appointed to teach the prince drawing. In the same year appeared his fine work, in 28 plates, ' Ornatus Muliebris Anglicanus,' small full- length figures of the costume of women in England, followed in 1642-43-44 by similar works on the Dresses of Women of other European countries. The Civil War now broke out. He was, from his con- nections, obnoxious to the Parliamentarians, and entered the ranks of the royal army under the Marquis of Winchester. Made prisoner on the surrender of Basing House, le escaped to Antwerp, where his patron lad already fled, and settled there in 1645. Here he laboured for some years, but not meeting with much encouragement after Lord Arundel left, he was again in diffi- culties, and in 1652 he returned to England.

He now found full employment in en- graving heads and title-pages for book illustrations. In 1654 he was employed by Faithorne ? who took him into his house, his wife having died, and employed him upon plates for Dugdale, Virgil, and other publications. The Restoration, however, brought no brighter prospects for him. He wanted enterprise, was most inade- quately paid for his laoour. and was con- tent to remain in quiet oDscurity. while others gained the profit of his laborious work. The times were unfortunate for art. The Fire of London and the Great Plague added to the perplexities of all, and he fell into absolute want, when about this time (1669) he was sent to Tangiers by the King to make drawings of the forts and defences, and of the surrounding country. For his two years' labour and his valuable draw- ings, some of which are now in the British Museum, he only received 100/. after many supplications and long delay ; and on his return his vessel had to encounter a serious attack by Algerine corsairs.

His life had been one long series of trials, and things did not now mend. He lost his only son, a youth of much promise, and his sorrows were full. He died a Roman Catholic, March 28, 1677, in his 70th year, in Gardiner's Lane, Westminster, now a most miserable place, and was disturbed on his death-bed, which he prayed to retain

219