Charles Cattermole (1832-1900) was a distinguished British artist who carved a notable niche for himself in the vibrant and often didactic art world of Victorian England. Primarily celebrated for his evocative watercolour paintings, though also proficient in oils, Cattermole dedicated his career to the depiction of historical narratives, romanticised scenes of chivalry, and dramatic episodes drawn from literature and Britain's past. He operated within a strong family artistic tradition, being the nephew of the highly esteemed George Cattermole, a factor that both influenced and, at times, overshadowed his own considerable achievements.
Early Life and Artistic Lineage
Born in 1832, Charles Cattermole entered an environment steeped in artistic pursuit. His uncle, George Cattermole (1800-1868), was a prominent figure in the London art scene, renowned for his historical watercolours and illustrations, particularly for the works of Sir Walter Scott and Charles Dickens. This familial connection undoubtedly provided young Charles with early exposure to artistic techniques, thematic preoccupations, and the professional life of an artist.
It is documented that Charles received formal training, and like many aspiring artists of his time, he would have honed his skills through drawing, studying from casts, and eventually, life models. The influence of his uncle George was profound, not just in terms of subject matter – which often overlapped – but also in the romantic and somewhat theatrical interpretation of historical events. George's circle included literary giants and fellow artists, creating a stimulating atmosphere that Charles would have benefited from. Some accounts suggest Charles began his professional journey at a young age, possibly around fourteen, working for the architectural draughtsman and antiquary John Britton, contributing to works like Britton's Cathedral Antiquities of England. This early experience would have instilled a keen eye for architectural detail, a feature often evident in his later compositions.
Artistic Style and Thematic Focus
Charles Cattermole’s oeuvre is characterized by a commitment to historical and literary themes, rendered with meticulous attention to detail and a flair for dramatic composition. He excelled in watercolour, a medium that enjoyed immense popularity in 19th-century Britain. His watercolours are noted for their rich tonality, skilled handling of light and shadow, and the ability to convey the textures of period costumes, armour, and architectural settings.
His subjects frequently drew upon medieval and Renaissance history, the English Civil War, and scenes inspired by Shakespearean plays or romantic literature. Unlike some of his contemporaries who leaned towards social realism, such as William Powell Frith with his panoramic views of modern life, Cattermole, much like Sir John Gilbert, preferred to transport his viewers to bygone eras. He depicted knights and ladies, soldiers in battle, clandestine meetings, and moments of high drama, often imbuing them with a sense of romantic nostalgia. His figures, while sometimes stylized, were expressive, and he paid considerable attention to their gestures and facial expressions to heighten the narrative impact.
While watercolour remained his primary medium, Cattermole also worked in oils. His oil paintings often tackled similar historical and romantic subjects, though perhaps with a bolder, more robust application of paint. However, it is generally his watercolours that are considered his most accomplished and characteristic works. His style can be broadly situated within the Victorian taste for narrative painting, where the artwork was expected to tell a story, often with a moral or sentimental undertone. He shared this narrative impulse with artists like Augustus Egg, though Cattermole's themes were generally less overtly moralizing and more focused on adventure and historical pageantry.
Key Works and Illustrations
Identifying a definitive list of Charles Cattermole's most famous individual works can be challenging, as many were exhibited and sold without achieving the singular iconic status of some of his contemporaries' pieces. However, his body of work is consistently strong in its chosen genre.
Among his representative watercolours are:
Scenes from Shakespeare, such as depictions from As You Like It, showcasing his ability to translate literary narratives into visual form.
Soldiers by a Crypt in a Cathedral (1877), a work that exemplifies his skill in creating atmospheric interiors and his interest in military and ecclesiastical themes.
Scenes from the English Civil War (e.g., works from 1877-1879), a recurring subject that allowed for dramatic compositions of cavaliers and roundheads.
An Ambuscade and A Flag of Truce, titles suggestive of the suspenseful and chivalric narratives he favored.
His oil paintings include:
The Death of Artemis (1862)
A Terrible Secret (1862)
Charles Cattermole also contributed to the rich tradition of book illustration, a field in which his uncle George had excelled. He is noted for providing illustrations for editions of Charles Dickens's works, including Barnaby Rudge. This particular novel, with its vivid historical setting during the Gordon Riots, was a subject his uncle had also famously illustrated, and Charles's contributions would have continued the Cattermole family's association with the great novelist. He also illustrated for other authors, bringing historical and fictional scenes to life for a wide readership. This practice of illustration was common among Victorian artists, with figures like Hablot Knight Browne ("Phiz") and George Cruikshank building entire careers around it, while others, like Cattermole and John Everett Millais (in his earlier career), balanced it with their exhibition painting.
Some works associated with the Cattermole name, such as Old English Hospitality (1839), The Castle Chapel (1840), and Hamilton of Bothwell Haugh preparing to shoot the Regent Murray, After the Battle of Newbury (1845), bear dates that suggest they are more likely by his uncle George, or represent a collaborative family output, given Charles's youth at the time. However, these themes and styles undoubtedly informed Charles's own artistic development.
Exhibitions and Professional Affiliations
Charles Cattermole was an active participant in the London art world, regularly submitting his works to major exhibitions. He exhibited frequently at the Royal Academy of Arts, a prestigious venue that showcased the leading artists of the day. His presence there, from the 1850s through to the end of his career, indicates a consistent level of professional recognition.
He was also a prominent member of several important artistic societies. He joined the New Society of Painters in Water Colours (which later became the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, or RI) in 1863, becoming a full member in 1870. His contributions to their exhibitions were significant, and he was highly regarded within the society. His skill in watercolour was comparable to that of other RI stalwarts like Louis Haghe or Thomas Miles Richardson Jr., who also specialized in picturesque and historical scenes.
Furthermore, Cattermole was associated with the Royal Institute of British Artists (RBA) and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI), demonstrating his engagement across different media and artistic communities. Membership in these institutions was a mark of professional standing and provided artists with regular platforms to display and sell their work, as well as to network with peers and patrons. The Victorian era saw a proliferation of such societies, each catering to specific media or artistic tendencies, reflecting the period's burgeoning art market and public interest.
The Cattermole Legacy: Distinguishing Charles
It is impossible to discuss Charles Cattermole without acknowledging the significant presence of his uncle, George Cattermole. George was a towering figure, a friend of Dickens, John Ruskin, and William Makepeace Thackeray, and his romantic, often dark and atmospheric, depictions of historical scenes had a profound impact. Charles undoubtedly learned much from him, and their thematic interests often converged, leading to some confusion in attributions over the years.
While George's style was perhaps more overtly dramatic and sometimes possessed a brooding intensity, Charles developed his own distinct, if related, artistic voice. His work, while still romantic and detailed, often had a slightly brighter palette and a clearer, more direct narrative style compared to some of his uncle's more atmospheric pieces. Charles's commitment to historical accuracy in costume and setting was a hallmark of his work, aligning him with the broader Victorian taste for historical verisimilitude, seen in the works of academic painters like Daniel Maclise or Edward Matthew Ward.
The "controversies" or strong opinions sometimes associated with the Cattermole name, such as a purported opposition to portraiture as lacking aesthetic value or theories on colour like the "monotony principle" (advocating for tonal harmony), are more directly attributable to George Cattermole's outspoken views. However, Charles, working within this intellectual and artistic milieu, would have been intimately familiar with these ideas, and they may have subtly shaped his own approach to composition and subject choice. He, too, largely eschewed contemporary portraiture in favour of historical narrative.
It is important to note that some biographical records mention a Charles Cattermole settling in Mississippi, USA. This is widely believed to be a different individual, as the artist Charles Cattermole's career was firmly rooted in London and the British art scene.
Comparisons with Contemporaries and Artistic Context
Charles Cattermole worked during a period of immense artistic diversity in Britain. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, with figures like Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, and William Holman Hunt, had challenged academic conventions earlier in the century with their emphasis on truth to nature, brilliant colour, and complex symbolism, often applied to historical, literary, or religious subjects. While Cattermole was not a Pre-Raphaelite, he shared their interest in detailed rendering and narrative content, though his style remained more aligned with traditional Romantic and historical painting.
His focus on chivalric and historical themes resonated with a Victorian public fascinated by the past, a fascination also catered to by historical novelists like Sir Walter Scott, whose influence on painters like George and Charles Cattermole was significant. Other artists exploring similar historical veins included John Frederick Lewis, known for his meticulously detailed Orientalist scenes but also for earlier Spanish and historical subjects, and Frederick Goodall, who painted grand historical and biblical narratives.
The dramatic and often theatrical quality of Cattermole's work can also be seen in the context of the Victorian stage, which heavily influenced popular visual culture. His compositions often resemble carefully staged tableaux, designed to elicit an emotional response from the viewer. This narrative clarity and dramatic staging were valued by a public that enjoyed art that told a clear story, a characteristic also found in the popular works of Abraham Solomon or Rebecca Solomon, who often depicted poignant social or historical dramas.
The influence of earlier Romantic painters like J.M.W. Turner and John Constable had paved the way for a British school that valued atmosphere, emotion, and the picturesque, elements that Cattermole incorporated into his historical visions. Furthermore, the work of French historical painters like Paul Delaroche, whose dramatic scenes were well-known in Britain (and whose work George Cattermole sometimes adapted), also formed part of the broader European context for historical painting.
Later Career and Death
Charles Cattermole continued to paint and exhibit throughout the latter half of the 19th century, maintaining a consistent output of historical and romantic scenes. He remained a respected figure within the watercolour societies and among collectors who appreciated his particular brand of historical artistry. His dedication to his craft was unwavering, and he contributed to the visual culture of his time by providing engaging and meticulously rendered glimpses into bygone eras.
He passed away in 1900 at the age of 68, leaving behind a substantial body of work that testifies to his skill as a draughtsman, his command of watercolour, and his imaginative engagement with history and literature. While perhaps not achieving the same level of fame as his uncle George, or some of the more revolutionary artists of his time, Charles Cattermole made a significant and lasting contribution to Victorian art.
Conclusion: An Enduring Vision of the Past
Charles Cattermole stands as a notable exponent of Victorian historical and romantic painting. His work, characterized by its detailed execution, dramatic compositions, and evocative portrayal of historical and literary subjects, found favour with a public eager for narrative and escapism. As a skilled watercolourist and a diligent professional, he upheld the strong artistic tradition of his family while developing his own recognizable style.
His paintings offer a window into the Victorian fascination with history, chivalry, and romance, rendered with a sensitivity to period detail and a flair for storytelling. Though sometimes working in the shadow of his more famous uncle, George Cattermole, Charles established himself as a respected artist in his own right, contributing significantly to the exhibitions of the Royal Academy and the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours. His legacy is that of a dedicated artist who skillfully brought the past to life, capturing the drama, pathos, and pageantry of bygone eras for his 19th-century audience and for posterity. His works continue to be appreciated for their technical accomplishment and their earnest engagement with the narratives that shaped British cultural identity.
