de Glehn, Wilfrid Gabriel, 1870–1951

Dr Edwin Sloper Beaven (1857–1941) 1939

Wilfrid Gabriel de Glehn (1870–1951)

Dewey Museum

Painter, born in London, studied at the South Kensington Schools and École des Beaux-Arts, Paris. The family name was originally von Glehn, but was changed in 1917 by deed poll. Married to the painter Jane de Glehn. Early on in his career de Glehn began exhibiting at the Paris Salon, RA and NEAC, as well as Fine Art Society, Leicester Galleries RP, RA, RHA and at many other venues. First one-man show at Carfax Gallery, 1908. De Glehn travelled widely, which provided many of his subjects and additional exhibition venues. He was a painter of beautiful people and places, rather in the manner of John Singer Sargent, whose friend and painting companion he was. Elected RA, 1932, having been elected NEAC in 1900 and RP in 1904. David Messum held an exhibition in 1989; in 1994 a show of both de Glehns entitled The American Connection; and a major exhibition in 2003, to coincide with the publication of Laura Wortley’s biography Wilfrid de Glehn RA A Painter’s Journey.

Text source: 'Artists in Britain Since 1945' by David Buckman (Art Dictionaries Ltd, part of Sansom & Company)

Biography on Wikipedia

Art History Research net (AHRnet) https://www.arthistoryresearch.net/

Wilfred Gabriel de Glehn was born Wilfred von Glehn in Sydenham, south London, England on 9 October 1870. and studied at the South Kensington Schools in London and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Between 1892 and 1893 he assisted Edwin Austin Abbey on his design for the Boston Mural commission while continuing his studies.

In 1904 he married Jane Erin Emmet an American art student whom he had met the previous year in America. They honeymooned in Cornwall, later visiting Paris and Venice. They moved to London. From 1905 and 1914, they travelled throughout Europe in the company of American artist John Singer Sargent, Following the outbreak of World War One they joined the British Red Cross staff in France in 1915. On their return to England in 1916, de Glehn was commissioned in the Artists' Rifles and served on the Front Line in Italy in 1917. That year the family changed its name from von Glehn to de Glehn possibly to avoid anti-German sentiment in Britain.

In 1919 de Glehn returned to England, A solo exhibition of his paintings was held at the Leicester Galleries in London that year, followed exhibition by another in New York in 1920. He also participated in group exhibitions at the Beaux Arts Gallery, Barbizon House, Carfax & Co. Gallery, Chenil Gallery, Cooling & Sons Gallery, Fine Art Society, Grosvenor Gallery, Goupil Gallery, International Society of Sculptors, Pasinters and Gravers, London Salon, New English Art Club, New Gallery, Royal Society of Portrait Painters, and Royal Academy in London; Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool; Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh; Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin, Manchester City Art Gallery; Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts; and at Durand-Ruel in Paris and New York.

He was elected a member of the New English Art Club (NEAC) in 1900; a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters (RP) in 1904; an Associate member of the Royal Academy (ARA) in 1923; and a Royal Academician (RA) in 1932.

He died in Stratford Tony, near Salisbury on 11 May 1951.