Edyth Starkie
Encyclopedia
Edyth Starkie was an established portrait painter
and sculptor who was married to Arthur Rackham
. She was born on the west coast of Ireland at Westcliff, near Galway
.
, near Cork where her father, William Robert Starkie JP
(1824–1897), was a Resident Magistrate
, who had also taught himself to play the violin. Her youthful behavior was said to be so wild and outrageous that at Mass in Skibbereen
the parish priest denounced her, along with her cousin Fanny, from the pulpit.
When she was sixteen her mother, Frances Starkie, shut up the house, put her husband into rooms in Cork
and set off with Edyth on a grand tour of Europe, lasting two to three years. In 1884 she studied art in Paris at the Académie Julian
under Jules Joseph Lefebvre
and Tony Robert-Fleury
. She then continued her studies in Germany, where one of her brothers, Rex, was an officer in the German Army. In Cassel, Edyth became engaged to a Prussia
n officer at Potsdam
, causing a major scandal when she finally broke it off because she couldn't stand the stiff Prussian attitudes; her fiancé would insist on challenging any man whom Edyth so much as smiled at in the street to a duel. In 1895, after a brief return to Ireland she moved to London. Her mother joined her after the death of her father in 1897.
at the Slade School of Art Edyth and Arthur met over a garden wall in 1898 and quickly became friends. Arthur, a fellow artist living at 6 Wychcombe Studios, had become a member of the Royal Watercolour Society
(RWS) and was afraid other members might mock his fantasy pictures in the company of more traditional watercolorists at RWS exhibitions. She persuaded him to put Grimm and Morte D'Arthur into the Winter RWS Exhibition of 1902 which were very well received. She did much to encourage his fantasy drawings at the beginning of his career. Their personalities; Edyth, quizzical, ironic and imaginative like the Irish; and Arthur, prim, precise and very English in manner, in spite of his bohemianism and his elfish kinks couldn't have been in greater antithesis. She was always his most stimulating, severest critic, and he had the greatest respect for her opinion. She also was full of mischief and always did her best to shock him. They were married on 16 July 1903 at St. Mark's, Hampstead
and honeymooned in North Wales
. Their daughter, Barbara, was born in January 1908.
, where she won a gold medal at the Barcelona International Exposition in 1911 for her painting The Black Veil ; and the Musée du Luxembourg
in Paris, which purchased her painting, The Spotted Dress in 1913. The Luxembourg collection has since moved to the Musée d'Orsay
.
, W.J.M. Starkie. Her nephew was the scholar Walter Starkie
and her niece, Enid Starkie
was known for her biographies of French poets.
and sculptor who was married to Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham was an English book illustrator.-Biography:Rackham was born in London as one of 12 children. At the age of 18, he worked as a clerk at the Westminster Fire Office and began studying part-time at the Lambeth School of Art.In 1892 he left his job and started working for The...
. She was born on the west coast of Ireland at Westcliff, near Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
.
Early life
The youngest of six, she spent most of her youth at Creggane Manor, RosscarberyRosscarbery
Rosscarbery or Roscarbery is a town in County Cork, Ireland. The town is on a shallow estuary, which opens onto Rosscarbery Bay.-History:...
, near Cork where her father, William Robert Starkie JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(1824–1897), was a Resident Magistrate
Resident Magistrate
A resident magistrate is a title for magistrates used in certain parts of the world, that were, or are, governed by the British. Sometimes abbreviated as RM, it refers to suitably qualified personnel - notably well versed in the law - brought into an area from outside as the local magistrate,...
, who had also taught himself to play the violin. Her youthful behavior was said to be so wild and outrageous that at Mass in Skibbereen
Skibbereen
Skibbereen , is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is the most southerly town in Ireland. It is located on the N71 national secondary road.The name "Skibbereen" means "little boat harbour." The River Ilen which runs through the town reaches the sea at Baltimore.-History:Prior to 1600 most of the...
the parish priest denounced her, along with her cousin Fanny, from the pulpit.
When she was sixteen her mother, Frances Starkie, shut up the house, put her husband into rooms in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
and set off with Edyth on a grand tour of Europe, lasting two to three years. In 1884 she studied art in Paris at the Académie Julian
Académie Julian
The Académie Julian was an art school in Paris, France.Rodolphe Julian established the Académie Julian in 1868 at the Passage des Panoramas, as a private studio school for art students. The Académie Julian not only prepared students to the exams at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, but offered...
under Jules Joseph Lefebvre
Jules Joseph Lefebvre
Jules Joseph Lefebvre was a French figure painter.Lefebvre entered the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in 1852 and was a pupil of Léon Cogniet. He won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1861. Between 1855 and 1898, he exhibited 72 portraits in the Paris Salon...
and Tony Robert-Fleury
Tony Robert-Fleury
Tony Robert-Fleury was a French painter.He was born just outside Paris, and studied under his father Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury and under Delaroche and Léon Cogniet....
. She then continued her studies in Germany, where one of her brothers, Rex, was an officer in the German Army. In Cassel, Edyth became engaged to a Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n officer at Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
, causing a major scandal when she finally broke it off because she couldn't stand the stiff Prussian attitudes; her fiancé would insist on challenging any man whom Edyth so much as smiled at in the street to a duel. In 1895, after a brief return to Ireland she moved to London. Her mother joined her after the death of her father in 1897.
Marriage to Arthur Rackham
She first settled in 118 Adelaide Road and, two years later at 3 Wychcombe Studios. Here she studied under Henry TonksHenry Tonks
Henry Tonks, FRCS was a British draughtsman and painter of figure subjects, chiefly interiors, and a caricaturist...
at the Slade School of Art Edyth and Arthur met over a garden wall in 1898 and quickly became friends. Arthur, a fellow artist living at 6 Wychcombe Studios, had become a member of the Royal Watercolour Society
Royal Watercolour Society
The Royal Watercolour Society is an English institution of painters working in watercolours...
(RWS) and was afraid other members might mock his fantasy pictures in the company of more traditional watercolorists at RWS exhibitions. She persuaded him to put Grimm and Morte D'Arthur into the Winter RWS Exhibition of 1902 which were very well received. She did much to encourage his fantasy drawings at the beginning of his career. Their personalities; Edyth, quizzical, ironic and imaginative like the Irish; and Arthur, prim, precise and very English in manner, in spite of his bohemianism and his elfish kinks couldn't have been in greater antithesis. She was always his most stimulating, severest critic, and he had the greatest respect for her opinion. She also was full of mischief and always did her best to shock him. They were married on 16 July 1903 at St. Mark's, Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
and honeymooned in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. Their daughter, Barbara, was born in January 1908.
Achievements
She was a member of the International Society; her exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts in London included Lilla (1897), St. Cecilia (1898) and Pippa Passes (1899). Works by her were bought for the National Museum, BarcelonaMuseu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya , abbreviated as MNAC, is a museum of Catalan visual art located in Barcelona, Catalonia. It is housed in the Palau Nacional, built for the 1929 World's Fair...
, where she won a gold medal at the Barcelona International Exposition in 1911 for her painting The Black Veil ; and the Musée du Luxembourg
Musée du Luxembourg
Musée du Luxembourg is a museum in Paris, France. It occupies the east wing of the Palais du Luxembourg, whose matching west wing originally housed Ruben's Marie de' Medici cycle. Since 2000 it has been run by the French Ministry of Culture and the Senate and is devoted to temporary exhibitions...
in Paris, which purchased her painting, The Spotted Dress in 1913. The Luxembourg collection has since moved to the Musée d'Orsay
Musée d'Orsay
The Musée d'Orsay is a museum in Paris, France, on the left bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, an impressive Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture,...
.
Notable family members
Her older brother was the Greek scholar and last Resident Commissioner of National Education for Ireland under British RuleBritish Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, W.J.M. Starkie. Her nephew was the scholar Walter Starkie
Walter Starkie
Walter Fitzwilliam Starkie CMG, CBE, Litt.D was an Irish scholar, Hispanist, author and musician.Born in Killiney, County Dublin, he was the eldest son of the noted Greek scholar and translator of Aristophanes, William Joseph Myles Starkie and May Caroline Walsh. Starkie grew up surrounded by...
and her niece, Enid Starkie
Enid Starkie
Enid Mary Starkie CBE, Litt.D , was an Irish literary critic, known for her biographical works on French poets. She was a Fellow of Somerville College, Oxford, and Lecturer and then Reader in the University.-Early life:She was the eldest daughter of Rt. Hon...
was known for her biographies of French poets.