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Edwin Harris | Genre painter

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Edwin Harris (1855-1906) was an British painter from Ladywood, Birmingham.
Harris entered the Birmingham School of Art at the age of fourteen, where he worked under Charles Morgan, F G Jackson and Edward R Taylor.
Fellow students included Walter Langley, William John Wainwright and William Breakspeare.
Harris was appointed as assistant master and after two years set up his own studio, painting pictures and giving lessons.



In 1880 he progressed to Verlat's Academy in Antwerp with Wainwright.
Their Birmingham training stood them in good stead and he and Wainwright were selected to join the group of twelve elite students who were given a separate studio to work life size from the figure.
He began exhibiting at the RBSA and was an early member of the Art Circle formed to encourage younger artists.
He first visited Newlyn in 1881 and the following year he was at Pont Aven in Brittany, then a magnet for plein-air painters from all over Europe.
He settled in Newlyn, Cornwall in 1883 and stayed there for twelve years.

Harris was recognised as one of the pioneers of the Newlyn School of artists which included his fellow Birmingham painters, Langley, Wainwright and William Banks Fortescue.
Joined by Alexander and Elizabeth Stanhope Forbes, Thomas Cooper Gotch and Frederick Hall, the colony became the focus for modern painting in Britain.

He left Newlyn in 1895 and took up portrait painting in Cardiff, Newport and Bristol and it became his main source of income.

In 1898 he returned to Birmingham, opening a studio in Norwich Union Chambers before settling in Cleeve Prior, Worcestershire where he died.
Harris was elected Associate in 1885 and Member in 1886 of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. | Source: © Wikipedia































Edwin Harris (1855-1906) è stato un pittore Inglese di Ladywood, Birmingham.
Harris è entrato alla Birmingham School of Art all'età di quattordici anni, dove ha lavorato con Charles Morgan, FG Jackson e Edward R Taylor.
I compagni di studio includevano Walter Langley, William John Wainwright e William Breakspeare.
Harris fu nominato assistente maestro e dopo due anni aprì il proprio studio, dipingendo quadri e dando lezioni.
Nel 1880 passò all'Accademia di Verlat ad Anversa con Wainwright.


La loro formazione a Birmingham li ha aiutati molto e lui ed Wainwright sono stati selezionati per unirsi al gruppo di dodici studenti d'élite a cui è stato assegnato uno studio separato per lavorare a grandezza naturale dalla figura.
Ha iniziato a esporre alla RBSA ed è stato uno dei primi membri dell'Art Circle formato per incoraggiare gli artisti più giovani.
Visitò per la prima volta Newlyn nel 1881 e l'anno successivo fu a Pont Aven in Bretagna, allora una calamita per pittori en plein air di tutta Europa.
Si stabilì a Newlyn, in Cornovaglia, nel 1883 e vi rimase per dodici anni.


Harris è stato riconosciuto come uno dei pionieri della Newlyn School of Artists che includeva i suoi colleghi pittori di Birmingham, Langley, Wainwright ed William Banks Fortescue.
Insieme ad Alexander ed Elizabeth Stanhope Forbes, Thomas Cooper Gotch e Frederick Hall, la colonia divenne il fulcro della pittura moderna in Gran Bretagna.


Lasciò Newlyn nel 1895 e iniziò a dipingere ritratti a Cardiff, Newport e Bristol, che divenne la sua principale fonte di reddito.
Nel 1898 tornò a Birmingham, aprendo uno studio a Norwich Union Chambers prima di stabilirsi a Cleeve Prior, nel Worcestershire, dove morì.
Harris fu eletto socio nel 1885 e membro nel 1886 della Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.