Henry Holiday (Born 17 June 1839 in London; Died 15 April 1927) was an English Pre-Raphaelite artist.

[edit] Biography

Holiday's depiction of the meeting between Dante Alighieri and Beatrice Portinari (in white) who strolls along the Arno River with friend Lady Vanna

In 1855, at the age of 16, Holiday made a journey to the Lake District. This was to be the first of many trips to the area, where he would often holiday for long periods of time. Whilst in the Lake District, he spent much of his time sketching the views which were to be seen from the various hills and mountains. He wrote, "For concentrated loveliness, I know nothing that can quite compare with the lakes and mountains of Westmorland, Cumberland and Lancashire."

Holiday also spent a lot of time at the studios of Sir Edward Burne-Jones. The influence of Burne-Jones can be felt in Holiday's work – the artists working in Sir Edward's studios discussed, exchanged and pooled their ideas, thus causing similarities between them.

He accepted the job of stained glass window designer for Powell's Glass Works in 1861, after Burne-Jones left to work for Morris & Co. During his time at Powell's, he fulfilled over 300 commissions, mostly for Americans. He later left Powell's in 1891, to set up his own glass works.

In his painting work, he excelled in drapery, producing works with an air of Rossetti to them. Between 1874 and 1876 he illustrated Lewis Carroll's The Hunting of the Snark.

Holiday died on 15 April 1927, two years after his wife, Kate.

[edit] Illustrations to The Hunting of the Snark

[edit] See also

"To pursue it with forks and hope",
from The Hunting of the Snark

• Stained glass
• Stained glass - British glass, 1811-1918
• Victorian Era
• Edwardian Era
• Aestheticism

[edit] References

• Morton N. Cohen and Edward Wakeling, Lewis Carroll and his illustrators, Macmillan, London (2003) pp.22-27

[edit] External links

• A gallery of Holiday's stained glass works
• Holiday's Stained Glass Windows in Cumbria