William Jabez Muckley
Encyclopedia
William Jabez Muckley was a noted English
artist who was born at Wordsley
, Kingswinford
, in Staffordshire
. He was the eldest of the seven children of Jabez Muckley who was a glass artisan.
William Jabez Muckley began his career as a glasscutter
with W.H. B. & J. Richardson of Wordsley and became their principal designer
and engraver. When only 22, he was responsible for much of the engraving
that earned the firm considerable praise in the Great Exhibition of 1851. After the Richardson glass firm was declared insolvent in 1852 Muckley joined the Birmingham School of Art
. He won one of the eight scholarship
s competed for by students at all the art schools in Britain
. He went on to study in London
and Paris
and obtained four art degrees of the highest class.
He was head of the Burslem School of Art
for five years in the late 1850s and then went on to be headmaster of Wolverhampton School of Art. In 1862 he became principal of Manchester School of Art. He exhibited at the Royal Academy
1859–1904 and at Suffolk Street, the Royal Institution
and Grosvenor Gallery
.
In 1878 he wrote The Student's Manual of Artistic Anatomy, with 25 plates of the bone
s and surface muscle
s of the human figure, together with a description of the origin, insertion and use of the muscles, and in 1882 wrote A Handbook for Painters and Art Students about the character, nature and use of colours, their permanent or fugitive qualities and the proper vehicles to employ, also short remarks on the practice of painting
in oil and water colours, and wrote two other books.
Muckley retired to White Notley Hall, Witham
, Essex
about 1900 and died at home in 1905.
importer. His younger brother Joseph Fairfax Muckley was the engraver of the very fine Muckley Goblet on display in Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
(Accession No. 1937M744), although some sources attribute this to William Jabez Muckley himself.
William’s son Angelo Fairfax Muckley (1859–1920) was also an artist who illustrated many published works.
A nephew, Louis Fairfax Muckley, (1862–1926) also illustrated books, most notably the 1897 Dent edition of The Faerie Queene
by Edmund Spenser
. A couple of Pre-Raphaelite examples of Louis Fairfax Muckley's work (attributed by some to Angelo Fairfax Muckley) are at http://www.artmagick.com/artists/muckley.aspx. "Autumn" was bought in, after an estimate of £20-30,000, at Christie's
London in June 2003.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
artist who was born at Wordsley
Wordsley
Wordsley with Buckpool is a village south of Kingswinford although is the most northern suburb of Stourbridge in the West Midlands, England. Wordsley still retains its rural character because it abuts open countryside...
, Kingswinford
Kingswinford
Kingswinford is a suburban area in the West Midlands.Historically within Staffordshire, the area is mentioned in the Domesday Book its name relates to a ford for the King's swine - Latin Swinford Regis. The current significance is probably in tourism, education and housing...
, in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. He was the eldest of the seven children of Jabez Muckley who was a glass artisan.
William Jabez Muckley began his career as a glasscutter
Glasscutter
"Glass Cutter" is a digital single made available on Prince's website NPG Music Club on April 5, 2005 . The "virtual B-side" was "San Jose Jam"....
with W.H. B. & J. Richardson of Wordsley and became their principal designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
and engraver. When only 22, he was responsible for much of the engraving
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
that earned the firm considerable praise in the Great Exhibition of 1851. After the Richardson glass firm was declared insolvent in 1852 Muckley joined the Birmingham School of Art
Birmingham School of Art
The Birmingham School of Art was a municipal art school based in the centre of Birmingham, England. Although the organisation was absorbed by Birmingham Polytechnic in 1971 and is now part of Birmingham City University's Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, its Grade I listed building on...
. He won one of the eight scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s competed for by students at all the art schools in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He went on to study in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and obtained four art degrees of the highest class.
He was head of the Burslem School of Art
Burslem School of Art
Burslem School of Art was an art school in Burslem in the Potteries district of England. Students from the school played an important role in the local pottery industry....
for five years in the late 1850s and then went on to be headmaster of Wolverhampton School of Art. In 1862 he became principal of Manchester School of Art. He exhibited at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
1859–1904 and at Suffolk Street, the Royal Institution
Royal Institution
The Royal Institution of Great Britain is an organization devoted to scientific education and research, based in London.-Overview:...
and Grosvenor Gallery
Grosvenor Gallery
The Grosvenor Gallery was an art gallery in London founded in 1877 by Sir Coutts Lindsay and his wife Blanche. Its first directors were J. Comyns Carr and Charles Hallé...
.
In 1878 he wrote The Student's Manual of Artistic Anatomy, with 25 plates of the bone
Bone
Bones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...
s and surface muscle
Muscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
s of the human figure, together with a description of the origin, insertion and use of the muscles, and in 1882 wrote A Handbook for Painters and Art Students about the character, nature and use of colours, their permanent or fugitive qualities and the proper vehicles to employ, also short remarks on the practice of painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
in oil and water colours, and wrote two other books.
Muckley retired to White Notley Hall, Witham
Witham
Witham is a town in the county of Essex, in the south east of England with a population of 22,500. It is part of the District of Braintree and is twinned with the town of Waldbröl, Germany. Witham stands between the larger towns of Chelmsford and Colchester...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
about 1900 and died at home in 1905.
Family
Muckley’s father Jabez was at various times a glasscutter, a glassworks manager and a glassGlass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
importer. His younger brother Joseph Fairfax Muckley was the engraver of the very fine Muckley Goblet on display in Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is a museum and art gallery in Birmingham, England.Entrance to the Museum and Art Gallery is free, but some major exhibitions in the Gas Hall incur an entrance fee...
(Accession No. 1937M744), although some sources attribute this to William Jabez Muckley himself.
William’s son Angelo Fairfax Muckley (1859–1920) was also an artist who illustrated many published works.
A nephew, Louis Fairfax Muckley, (1862–1926) also illustrated books, most notably the 1897 Dent edition of The Faerie Queene
The Faerie Queene
The Faerie Queene is an incomplete English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. The first half was published in 1590, and a second installment was published in 1596. The Faerie Queene is notable for its form: it was the first work written in Spenserian stanza and is one of the longest poems in the English...
by Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
. A couple of Pre-Raphaelite examples of Louis Fairfax Muckley's work (attributed by some to Angelo Fairfax Muckley) are at http://www.artmagick.com/artists/muckley.aspx. "Autumn" was bought in, after an estimate of £20-30,000, at Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
London in June 2003.