Born: 1858
Death: 1907
Biography:
, a prominent British artist, was born on January 22, 1858, in London. He was one of six sons and two daughters to Robert Malcolm Kerr (1821–1902), a Judge of the City of London Court, and Maria Susannah Soley Kerr. Kerr's educational background includes Corpus Christi College, Oxford, followed by studies at the Royal Academy Schools and the Académie Julian in Paris.
Kerr's artistic career is marked by his contributions to portrait, genre, and landscape painting, as well as his work as an illustrator. He regularly exhibited his works at the Royal Academy from 1884, showcasing pieces like 'Wargrave Church', 'The Oldest Inhabitant', and numerous portraits. His involvement with other prestigious institutions includes the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Royal Hibernian Academy, Manchester City Art Gallery, and the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.
Kerr's illustrations for adventure novels by H. Rider Haggard, such as 'Allan Quatermain' (1887), 'She: A History of Adventure' (1888), and 'The Witch's Head' (1893), are particularly noteworthy. He also collaborated with other notable authors, including Robert Louis Stevenson ('The Wrong Box', 1899) and Arthur Conan Doyle (the Sherlock Holmes story 'The Sign of the Four', 1890).
Kerr married Gertrude Lizzie Giles, who posed for his 1905 painting 'The Visitor', now in the collection of the Tate. His later years were marked by struggles with addiction to morphine, leading to his admission to the Priory and Manor House asylum in 1906. Kerr passed away on December 7, 1907, at his home in Burgess Hill.
- 'Wargrave Church' - 'The Oldest Inhabitant' - 'The Visitor' (1905) Museums and Institutions: - Royal Institute of Oil Painters - Royal Hibernian Academy - Manchester City Art Gallery - Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool
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