MARGETSON, William Henry

1861 - 1940

William Henry Margetson was born at Denmark Hill, Camberwell, Surrey on 1 December 1861, son of Edward Margetson (28 July 1834-2 April 1885), a commission merchant, and his wife Eleanor Bradshaw (1835-5 May 1912), eldest daughter of John Bradshaw, who married at St George's Church, Hulme, Lancashire on 12 June 1858. In 1871, William was a 9-year-old, living at Camberwell Grove, Camberwell with his parents, 36-year-old Edward and 36-year-old Eleanor and an elder brother, 11-year-old Edward. Educated at a Miss Pace's and studied at Dulwich College School and at South Kensington School of Art before attending the Royal Academy Schools where he won a bronze medal in 1885. He taught drawing at the Central School of Arts and Crafts and his illustrations appeared in a variety of magazines, including 'Black & White', 'Cassell’s', 'The English Illustrated Magazine', 'The Girls Realm', 'The Graphic', 'The Harmsworth Magazine', 'The Idler', 'The Pall Mall Magazine', 'The Penny Magazine', 'The Quiver', 'Sunday at Home' and 'The Tatler'. However, after the turn of the century, he concentrated increasingly on figure painting becoming noted for his paintings of beautiful girls, typically painted on large canvases in oils and watercolours and produced a few religious paintings as well as allegorical and classical canvases. Margetson, who exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1885, was a member of the Ipswich Art Club 1886-1891, and elected to the Royal Society of Miniature Painters in 1896, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 1901 and to the Royal Institute in 1909. He married at St Mark's, St John's Wood, London on 20 June 1889, Helen Howard Hatton (16 January 1859-24 October 1955), daughter of author Joseph Paul Christopher Hatton, she was also a noted artist, and they had a son and two daughters including illustrator Hester Margetson (1890-1965). William Henry Margeson lived at Priory Cottage, Wallingford, Berkshire where he died on 2 January 1940 and cremated at Henley Road Crematorium, Caversham on 6 January 1940. Margetson was also a keen sailor, dancer, and gardener in his spare time. He signed his works 'W. H. Margetson'.

Royal Academy Exhibits
from 28 Great Ormond Street, London
1885 474 Elsie
         1072 'When I touch the guitar'
1886 508 The Squire's Daughter
         529 Mrs F.R. Richardson
         623 Haggar and Ishmael
1887 187 The Tryst
1888 756 Captives
from 1 Lennard Place, Circus Road, Northwest London
1889 1129 Miss R.
         1184 Lilies
1890 350 T. F. Franklin, Esq.
         820 Cleopatra
         847 The Sonnet
from 7 St Paul's Studio, Talgarth Road, West Kensington
1891 554 Pygmalion
         729 The Coquette
1892 313 At the Angel Inn, in Manchester
1893 905 The Cradle of Pearl
1894 382 'When the lamp is shattered...'
         1478 Illustration to 'A History of the Scottish People' - etching
from Deerhurst, Streatham, Southwest London
1895 68 'And the Virgin's name is Mary'
         339 Joseph Hatton, Esq.
from Studio, Farnham Road, Streatham
1896 922 Walter, son of Arthur Franklin, Esq.
from 24 Hopton Road, Streatham
1897 238 Fredk. John Horniman, Esq., M.P.
         501 Mrs Frederick J. Horniman
         670 'The sea has its pearls'
1898 240 The Enchanted Shore
         439 Castles of Sand
         444 His Hobby
from 107 Thornham Road, West Norwood
1899 306 The Wonders of the Shore
         809 A Sunny Evening
         1590 Design for a Bookplate - etching
1900 221 The Wind-flower
1901 686 A Little Sea Maiden
         802 Whispers of Fancy
from The Homestead, Blewbury, Berkshire
1905 844 'The year at the Spring...'
1912 411 'A dream that was not all a dream'
1913 394 An Ill Omen
         1562 Elsie, daughter of Dr. A. Goodman Levy
1922 727 The Frog Prince - watercolour

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Works by This Artist