Rachel Frances Alexander

Last updated

Rachel Frances Alexander (13 May 1875 - 8 December 1964) was a social campaigner in Kensington, London. She was involved in the foundation of several charities in the borough including, the Kensington Housing Trust, the Kensington Council of Social Service and the North Kensington Community Centre. Her father William Cleverly Alexander was an early supporter of the painter James McNeill Whistler, who painted two of her elder sisters. Rachel herself was painted by the artist William Nicholson and she and her younger sister Jean donated seventeen paintings from their father's art collection to the National Gallery and pieces of his Japanese collection to the Victoria and Albert (now housed in the British Museum).

Contents

Early life

Miss Rachel Alexander (1906) painted by William Nicholson Miss Rachel Frances Alexander 1906.pdf
Miss Rachel Alexander (1906) painted by William Nicholson

Rachel Alexander was born on the 13th May 1875 in Kensington, London. [1] She was the second youngest of nine children. [2] [3]  Her father William Cleverly Alexander (1840-1916) was a banker in the City of London [4] and worked for his family’s firm Alexanders and Co. (later Alexander’s Discount Co. Ltd). [5]  William Cleverly and his wife Rachel Agnes Alexander (née Lucas, 1837-1900) were supporters of the arts and early supporters of James McNeill Whistler in England. Whistler painted two of her sisters:

Miss Agnes Mary Alexander (1873), Rachel's elder sister, painted by James McNeill Whistler James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) - Miss Agnes Mary Alexander - N05964 - National Gallery.jpg
Miss Agnes Mary Alexander (1873), Rachel's elder sister, painted by James McNeill Whistler
Harmony in Grey and Green: Miss Cicely Alexander (1872-4), Rachel's elder sister, painted by James McNeill Whistler Whistler James Harmony in Grey and Green Miss Cicely Alexander 1873.jpg
Harmony in Grey and Green: Miss Cicely Alexander (1872-4), Rachel's elder sister, painted by James McNeill Whistler

Whistler also did sketches for another sister, Portrait of Miss Grace Alexander (1873/1876, which were held by the British Museum) [8] as well as advised on redecorating three rooms at the family home Aubrey House in Kensington. [9]

Community involvement

Alexander lived in Aubrey House [10] her whole life and was active in the local community.  In 1909 she was the Honorary Secretary of the North Kensington Dispensary for the Prevention of Consumption. [11] In 1917 she and her sisters donated a substantial number of their late father’s Japanese collection to the Victoria and Albert Museum [12] now housed in the British Museum. [13]  The family also contributed Aubrey House to the war effort during World War I. The house became a Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) hospital for recuperating soldiers and was returned to the sisters after the war. [14] [15]   Alexander's work in the war could have also been more direct as the notice of her death in the Kensington News and West London Times in 1964 states, "In the First World War she [Rachel] worked with the [Society of] Friends in France, and received a medal from the French government for her work there." [16] In 1926 she was a founding member of the Kensington Housing Trust [17] and she was elected to the Council of the Society that same year. Her involvement lasted until her death in 1964. [18]

In 1867 Aubrey House, under the prior owners Peter and Clementia Taylor, was the scene of the first meeting of the Committee of the London National Society for Women’s Suffrage. [19]  Dame Millicent Fawcett (1847-1929) became a member of the Society’s executive committee that year, aged 19. [20]  Much later in 1925 and again in 1927, when Alexander and her sister Jean Ingelow Alexander (1877-1972) (the "Misses Alexanders") owned the house, Dame Millicent Fawcett returned as part of the National Union of Societies for Equal Citizenship and spoke at two large gatherings held in the garden at Aubrey House. [21] [22]  In 1929 the sisters also hosted a reception for the Women’s International League for "two women delegates of the British Government to the Geneva Assembly". [23]  Their garden and home were frequently opened to raise money for local charities. [24]

Alexander was greatly involved in local issues in Kensington and was a founding member of the Kensington Council of Social Service in 1920. [25]  In 1935 she was instrumental in opening a nursery school for 40 children at the Housing Estate in Dalgarno Gardens. [26] She also helped to found a Community Centre in Kensington in 1936, which celebrated her on its 21st year anniversary in 1957, when she was 80. [27] In 1948 she was the inspiration for opening Ray House, a home for the elderly in Kensington and in 1951 she was also Secretary of the Kensington Holiday Trust. [28] [29]

Portraits

Alexander's father commissioned William Nicholson to paint a portrait of her when she was 30.  The painting was done in 1905 at Bolton Studios, Chelsea and is very large, measuring  67 x 51 inches (170.2 x 129.5 cm). [30]   It was exhibited as No. 123 in the 1907 International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London) exhibition in New Gallery, Regent Street, London. [31]   The background of the painting contains a large drawing of a woman on horseback (who could be the sitter herself). [32] [33] Rachel owned the painting through at least 1956, when she is cited as the owner by Lillian Browse in her book William Nicholson .

According to Patricia Reed's William Nicholson: A Catalogue Raisonne of the Oil Paintings, William Cleverly Alexander also owned several other paintings by William Nicholson: La Petite Marchande (The Little Shopkeeper, 1902), Deer in Blenheim Park (1903), Whiteways - Rottingdean (1909), Saltdean, Rottingdean (1909), Fuchsias in a Blue and White Jug (1909), Purple Tulips (1911) and Cupids Fighting for a Rose (1910). [34]   He may also have owned Still Life (1907) and Clifftop: Rottingdean by Moonlight (1910) as these were cited as belonging to him in a 1990 exhibition catalogue [35] produced by the National Portrait Gallery, London, but cited by Reed as being owned by his son, Geoffrey Alexander in 1910-1911. (William Gregory Alexander died in 1911.)

Rachel Alexander also had her silhouette cut by the well known silhouette artist Hubert Leslie . It was done in 1923 on the West Pier in Brighton and is held by the National Portrait Gallery, London.

Death and legacy

Alexander died in December 1964 and her younger sister Jean died in 1972. [36]  However, in 1959 the sisters had signed a Deed of Gift with the National Gallery, so in 1972 after Jean passed away, seventeen paintings from their family were gifted to the nation, most of which still reside at the National Gallery in London. [37] [38]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James McNeill Whistler</span> American painter (1834–1903)

James Abbott McNeill Whistler was an American painter in oils and watercolor, and printmaker, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He eschewed sentimentality and moral allusion in painting and was a leading proponent of the credo "art for art's sake".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Everett Millais</span> British painter and illustrator (1829–1896)

Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet was an English painter and illustrator who was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was a child prodigy who, aged eleven, became the youngest student to enter the Royal Academy Schools. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was founded at his family home in London, at 83 Gower Street. Millais became the most famous exponent of the style, his painting Christ in the House of His Parents (1849–50) generating considerable controversy, and he produced a picture that could serve as the embodiment of the historical and naturalist focus of the group, Ophelia, in 1851–52.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Burne-Jones</span> English artist (1833–1898)

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, was an English painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood's style and subject matter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alphonse Legros</span> French-British painter and sculptor (1837–1911)

Alphonse Legros was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist. He moved to London in 1863 and later was naturalized as British. He was important as a teacher in the British etching revival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Nicholson (artist)</span> British painter, engraver and illustrator (1872–1949)

Sir William Newzam Prior Nicholson was a British painter of still-life, landscape and portraits. He also worked as a printmaker in techniques including woodcut, wood-engraving and lithography, as an illustrator, as an author of children's books and as a designer for the theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Pryde</span> British artist

James Ferrier Pryde was a British artist. A number of his paintings are in public collections, but there have been few exhibitions of his work. He is principally remembered as one of the Beggarstaffs, his artistic partnership with William Nicholson, and for the poster designs and other graphic work they made between 1893 and 1899, which influenced graphic design for many years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Wood (painter)</span> English painter (1901–1930)

John Christopher "Kit" Wood was an English painter born in Knowsley, near Liverpool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Bowness</span> British art historian (1928–2021)

Sir Alan Bowness CBE was a British art historian, art critic, and museum director. He was the director of the Tate Gallery between 1980 and 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tate Britain</span> Art museum in London, England

Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in England, with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. Founded by Sir Henry Tate, it houses a substantial collection of the art of the United Kingdom since Tudor times, and in particular has large holdings of the works of J. M. W. Turner, who bequeathed all his own collection to the nation. It is one of the largest museums in the country. The museum had 525,144 visitors in 2021, an increase of 34 percent from 2020 but still well below pre- COVID-19 pandemic levels. In 2021 it ranked 50th on the list of most-visited art museums in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louise Jopling</span> English painter

Louise Jane Jopling was an English painter of the Victorian era, and one of the most prominent female artists of her generation.

<i>Nocturne: Blue and Silver – Chelsea</i> Painting by James McNeill Whistler

Completed in 1871, Nocturne: Blue and Silver – Chelsea is a painting by James McNeill Whistler. It is the earliest of the London Nocturnes and was conceived on the same August evening as Variations in Violet and Green. The two paintings were exhibited together at the Dudley Gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Forbes (artist)</span> Canadian-English painter

Elizabeth Adela Forbes was a Canadian painter who was primarily active in the UK. She often featured children in her paintings and School Is Out is one of her most popular works. She was friends with the artists James Abbott McNeill Whistler and Walter Sickert, both of whom influenced her work. Her etchings in particular are said to show the influence of Whistler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eileen Agar</span> Argentine artist, photographer (1899–1991)

Eileen Forrester Agar was an Argentine-British painter and photographer associated with the Surrealist movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mabel Pryde</span> English artist (1871–1918)

Mabel Scott Lauder Pryde was a Scottish artist, the wife of artist William Nicholson, and the mother of artists Ben Nicholson and Nancy Nicholson and the architect Christopher Nicholson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgiana Burne-Jones</span> British painter and engraver (1840-1920)

Georgiana, Lady Burne-Jones was a British painter and engraver, and the second oldest of the MacDonald sisters. She was married to the Late Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones, and was also the mother of painter Philip Burne-Jones, aunt of novelist Rudyard Kipling and Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, confidante and friend of George Eliot, William Morris, and John Ruskin. She was a Trustee of the South London Gallery and was elected to the parish Council of Rottingdean, near Brighton in Sussex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aubrey House</span> Large 18th-century house in Holland Park in west London

Aubrey House is a large 18th-century detached house with two acres of gardens in the Campden Hill area of Holland Park in west London, W8. It is a private residence.

<i>Mother of Pearl and Silver: The Andalusian</i> Painting by James Abbott McNeill Whistler

Mother of Pearl and Silver: The Andalusian is a painting by James McNeill Whistler. The work shows a woman in full figure standing with her back to the viewer, with her head in profile. The model is Ethel Whibley, the artist's secretary and sister-in-law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theodore Roussel</span> French-born English painter and graphic artist (1847–1926)

Theodore Casimir Roussel (1847–1926) was a French-born English painter and graphic artist, best known for his landscapes and genre scenes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beatrice Whistler</span> British artist and designer (1857–1896)

Beatrice Whistler was born in Chelsea, London on 12 May 1857. She was the eldest daughter of ten children of the sculptor John Birnie Philip and Frances Black. She studied art in her father's studio and with Edward William Godwin who was an architect-designer. On 4 January 1876 she became the second wife of Edward Godwin. Following the death of Godwin, Beatrice married James McNeill Whistler on 11 August 1888.

Rosalind Birnie Philip was the sister-in-law of James McNeill Whistler. After the death of her sister Beatrice in 1896 Rosalind acted as secretary to Whistler and was appointed Whistler's sole beneficiary and the executrix in his will.

References

  1. Digital image of baptism entry for Rachel Frances Alexander, born 13 May 1875, baptised 19 June 1875, St Mary, Hornsey, Haringey, England. 'London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms 1813-1923'. http://ancestry.co.uk, accessed April 2024. Original data: London Metropolitan Archives, "London Church of England Parish Registers, Reference Number: Dro/020/A/01/016
  2. Census record for William C Alexander, aged 30, Harringay House, Hornsey, Middlesex, England. 1871 England Census. The National Archives, RG10/1335/56/1; GSU roll: 828278. www.ancestry.co.uk, accessed April 2024
  3. Census record for Willm. C. Alexander, aged 40, Aubrey House, Kensington, London, England. 1881 England Census. The National Archives, RG11/27/113/13, GSU roll: 1341006. www.ancestry.co.uk, accessed April 2024
  4. "William Cleverly Alexander 1840–1916 Collector and Philanthropist" (PDF). Smithsonian Institution. National Museum of Asian Art. February 29, 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  5. Lloyd-Prichard, Muriel F. (1960). "The Alexander Family's Discount Company". The Journal of the Friends' Historical Society. 49 (3): 157–164 via School of Advanced Study.
  6. Tate. "'Miss Agnes Mary Alexander', James Abbott McNeill Whistler, c.1873". Tate. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  7. Tate. "'Harmony in Grey and Green: Miss Cicely Alexander', James Abbott McNeill Whistler, 1872–4". Tate. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  8. "Whistler Paintings :: Management Pages - People Search". whistlerpaintings.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-02.
  9. Whistler, James McNeill. "Design for wall decorations for Aubrey House, M.0489". The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler, A Catalogue Raisonne, University of Glasgow (Accession Number: GLAHA 46050). Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  10. "A Quiet Country House on Campden Hill". Kensington News and West London Times. 20 January 1967. p. 6.
  11. "Combating Consumption: Good Work of Kensington Dispensary". Westminster Gazette. 16 November 1910. p. 10.
  12. "Japanese Works of Art". London and China Telegraph. 4 June 1917. p. 19.
  13. "British Museum Collection Seach Rachel Alexander". The British Museum. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  14. "Buckingham Palace". Evening Mail. 23 November 1917. p. 6.
  15. Gladstone, Florence, M. (1922). Aubrey House Kensington 1698-1920. Arthur L Humphreys.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. Reeves, Lucy (18 December 1964). "A Lifetime of Service...Tribute to Miss Rachel Alexander". Kensington News and West London Times.
  17. B.N.B. (1997). "Rachel Alexander" (PDF). The Kensington Society Annual Report 1997: 49–50 via Kensington Society.
  18. "The Kensington Housing Trust" (PDF). The Kensington Society Annual Report 1996: 40–42. 1996.
  19. "Aubrey House". Heritage Gateway, Historic England Research Records. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  20. "The Early Suffrage Societies in the 19th century-a Timeline". UK Parliament. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  21. "In Aubrey House Garden". Common Cause. 31 July 1925. p. 5.
  22. "Garden Party at Aubrey House". The Vote. 1 July 1927. p. 6.
  23. "Women's International League". The Vote. 9 August 1929. p. 7.
  24. "Summer Visits, 1954: 3rd July Aubrey House" (PDF). The Kensington Society Annual Report 1954: 6. 1954 via Kensington Society.
  25. "Kensington Council of Social Service". Kensington News and West London Times. 20 September 1935. p. 2.
  26. "North Kensington Community Centre". Kensington News and West London Times. 20 September 1935. p. 7.
  27. "The Community Centre Celebrates its 21st: - and founder gets 'keys of the door'". Kensington Post. 5 July 1957. p. 1.
  28. Kensington Post. 19 July 1951. p. 4.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  29. "A Holiday House, A Rest House, Two Dinner Clubs and a Television Set". Kensington News and West London Times. 25 November 1949. p. 4.
  30. Browse, Lillian (1956). William Nicholson. Rupert Hart-Davis. p. 46.
  31. Reed, Patricia (2011). William Nicholson: A Catalogue Raisonne of the Oil Paintings. Yale University Press. pp. 106–107.
  32. Reed, Patricia (2011). William Nicholson: A Catalogue Raisonne of the Oil Paintings. Yale University Press. pp. 106–107.
  33. Schwartz, Sanford (2004). William Nicholson. Yale University Press. p. 86.
  34. Reed, Patricia (2011). William Nicholson: A Catalogue Raisonne of the Oil Paintings. Yale University Press.
  35. William Nicholson. Browse & Darby. 22 March – 21 April 1990.
  36. The Lady Stocks (1971). "Miss Jean Alexander" (PDF). The Kensington Society Annual Report 1971: 14–15 via Kensington Society.
  37. Smith, Allistair (1972). "Presented by the Misses Rachel F. and Jean I. Alexander: Seventeen Paintings for the National Gallery". The Burlington Magazine. 114 (834): 630–634. JSTOR   877127 via JSTOR.
  38. "Acquisition: pictures bequeathed by Misses Rachel F. and Jean I. Alexander from the collection formed by their father, William Cleverley Alexander". National Gallery. Retrieved 25 April 2024.