Tennyson Cole

Philip Tennyson Cole (30 May 1862 – 2 September 1939), generally known as Tennyson Cole, was an English society portrait painter in both oils and watercolours, who first achieved fame in Australasia and South Africa.[1]

Biography

Cole was born into a family of artists in London in 1862.[2] As a young boy, Cole received training in art from his father, who was himself a successful painter.[3] He may have been related to George Vicat Cole.[4] He was educated at Chiswick College in Middlesex and had his first exhibition in London by age 20.[2]

Around the age of 19, he fell in love with Alice Mary Saintsbury, an actress, whom he married in 1885, supporting him financially.[5]

He sailed to Tasmania, arriving in the Doric in 1889.[6] During the voyage he painted his female companion, a fine contralto who called herself Madame Cole, and several fellow passengers. After a year's stay in Hobart, having completed a good many commissions to general acclaim, including a fine pair of portraits of the Governor and Lady Hamilton, which were presented to the Art Gallery of Tasmania,[7] he moved to Melbourne. In October 1892, while visiting New Zealand, he was charged in Auckland with deserting his wife in England some three years before.[8] He was ordered to pay his wife support of £1 per week.

He left Australia from Adelaide aboard the Ormus in September 1893. His erstwhile wife died in Sydney on 7 April 1894.[9] In in August 1895 the (yet to be inaugurated) Perth Art Gallery was donated his portrait of Sir George Grey.[10] In May 1896 he was working in South Africa. In 1900 he was touring the African interior.[11] The following year he was back in England and the Royal Academy had an exhibition which included his portrait of the Duke of Norfolk.[12] In 1902 commissions included Lord Milner and Cecil Rhodes. In 1908 he was granted a series of sittings by the King.[13] He spent part of the World War I years as a guest of an Indian Maharajah; he died in Tooting Bec Hospital.[14]

Selected works

In Great Britain

Held in various public collections; listed at Art UK – Your Paintings

  • Alderman Lieutenant Colonel Clifford Probyn, Mayor of Westminster (1901–1902) painted 1902
  • Alderman William F. Paul
  • Cecil John Rhodes et nos fas extera quaerere regna
  • Cecil Rhodes (1853–1902) painted 1902
  • Charles Alexander Buckmaster painted 1936
  • Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill (1871–1934), 9th Duke of Marlborough
  • Duke of Norfolk, 1st Mayor of Westminster (1900–1901)
  • Edward VII (1841–1910) painted ca.1908
  • General Sir Edmund Allenby (1861–1936), KCB painted ca.1918
  • George V (1865–1936) painted ca.1915
  • King Edward VII painted 1907
  • King Edward VII (1841–1910) painted 1907
  • Lord Kitchener of Khartoum (1850–1916) painted ca.1913
  • Major General the Right Honourable Lord Cheylesmore, Mayor of Westminster (1904–1906) painted 1906
  • Mayor Councillor Viscount Doneraile, Mayor of Westminster (1919–1920) painted 1920
  • Owen Cosby Philipps, 1st Baron Kylsant, MP painted 1920
  • Portrait of a Governor painted 1898
  • Sir Alfred F. Robbins (1856–1931), journalist, Freemason and Freeman
  • Sir John Hunt, Town Clerk of the City of Westminster painted 1931
  • Sir William Treloar (1843–1923), Lord Mayor of London (1906) painted 1907
  • William Mansfield (1855–1921), 1st Viscount Sandhurst
  • Violet, Marchioness of Donegall and her son Edward painted 1907 Peerage website

South Africa

Australia
  • Portraits of Sir Robert and Lady Hamilton, painted in 1890, were donated to the Tasmanian Art Gallery.[15]
  • Hon. Peter Lalor as Speaker held by Ballarat Art Gallery

Bibliography
  • Cole, P. Tennyson Vanity Varnished; Reminiscences in Many Colours 1931 London: Hutchinson & Co.[3]

References
  1. "Mr. P. Tennyson Cole: Portrait Painter". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 4 September 1939. p. 13.
  2. Wills, Walter H.; Barrett, R. J. (1905). The Anglo-African Who's who and Biographical Sketch-book. George Routledge & Sons, Limited. p. 30. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  3. "A Painter's Reminiscences". Advertiser and Register. Adelaide. 1 August 1931. p. 4. Retrieved 25 October 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "Mr. Tennyson Cole". The Mercury. Hobart, Tasmania. 29 November 1890. p. 2. Retrieved 25 October 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "An Artist's Wives". Table Talk. Melbourne. 4 November 1892. p. 11. Retrieved 25 October 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "Tasmanian News". Launceston Examiner. Tas. 2 July 1889. p. 2. Retrieved 25 October 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "The Governor Hamilton Memorial Fund". The Mercury. Hobart, Tasmania. 21 May 1895. p. 3. Retrieved 26 October 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "New Zealand". The Morning Bulletin. Rockhampton, Qld. 21 October 1892. p. 6. Retrieved 26 October 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "Family Notices". The Australasian. Melbourne. 3 November 1894. p. 45. Retrieved 26 October 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "News of the Week". Australian Town and Country Journal. Sydney. 17 August 1895. p. 15. Retrieved 26 October 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "Anglo-Australian Notes". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 17 July 1901. p. 8. Retrieved 26 October 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "The Royal Academy". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 15 June 1901. p. 9. Retrieved 26 October 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. "A Wonderful Portrait". The West Australian. Perth. 30 March 1908. p. 9. Retrieved 26 October 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. "He Earned £60,000, Died Penniles". The Northern Times. Carnarvon, WA. 12 April 1940. p. 5. Retrieved 26 October 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. "Tasmanian Art Gallery". The Mercury. Hobart, Tasmania. 1 February 1890. p. 1 Supplement: The Mercury Supplement. Retrieved 25 October 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
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