Frederick Morgan

Frederick Morgan was born in April 1847, in London. His mother was Henrietta Hester Clare, and his father, John Morgan, was an established painter. John wished for his son, the same career path he took, and became Morgan's first mentor. The painter would eventually reach his father's success and became most known for his idyllic portrayals of children, as well as genre paintings of the countryside.

With the approval of his father, Morgan dropped out of school at fourteen years old to dedicate himself fully to his artistic education. His father mentored him throughout his teen years. Young Morgan exhibited the painting The Rehearsal in the prestigious Royal Academy with only sixteen years of age, showing immense dedication to his craft.

The British artist began working as a portrait painter, giving him the preciseness of depicting vital details in his paintings. He took some years away from the Royal Academy, but eventually returned and continued exhibiting his art. Morgan eventually found the motif he became most famous for portraying, idealized scenes of nostalgia translated into images of happy and peaceful children.

The painter began working exclusively for Thomas Agnew & Sons in 1874, a London gallery of fine art. This proved to be his most successful period, as he produced numerous masterpieces, like The School Belles, and The Emigrants Departure. During this time, Morgan would spend a lot of his time at the village of Shere, but he also traveled to Normandy, where he painted scenes of the country in beautiful paintings like An Apple-Gathering and Midday Rest.

The Royal Institute of Oil Painters accepted Morgan as a member, as he gained a lot of popularity with his sentimental paintings of children and the portrayals of the simplistic rural life-style. He counted with the help of his contemporary, who had a similar style to Morgan's, Arthur John Elsley, mostly when portraying animals.

The painter would eventually exhibit his work at Bournemouth's Russell-Cotes Museum, and the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. Not only was Morgan recognized as a successful oil painter, but he also worked on commercial illustration, like the poster advertising Pears' Soap named His Next Turn and can be seen in the Lady Lever Art Gallery.

In 1872, the painter married Alice Mary Havers, who was also an artist and illustrator. The oldest of their three children, Valentine, aka Val Havers, followed in his parent's footsteps and also became a painter. In 1888, the couple separated as Alice moved to Paris along with their kids to continue her studies in painting. They officially divorced in 1890, and tragically Alice passed away the same year.

Frederick's popularity grew during his life and after. Masterpieces like Nutting, Skipping, Sisters, and Merry as the Day Is Long, remind the viewer of the simplicity and innocence found in pure happiness. Frederick Morgan passed away in April 1927.