Paintings research 14/5/2024
Who was Ella Jacob?
I was recently asked to examine a large painting in the small church of All Saints, Chicklade. Wiltshire. It is a large triptych of the Crucifixion with Saints on either side and is a copy of a fresco in a church in Florence by Perugino (1445-1523). The painting was discoloured by years of dust but was in relatively good condition. There was evidence of some previous restoration to strengthen outlines of figures and regilding of halos. However, what intrigued me was the artist. The only information I was given was that it was by Eleanor (Ella) Jacob and had been in the church since 1888. A quick search on the internet mentioned an earthenware vase with carved decoration by Ella which is in the Victoria and Albert Museum and their records indicated that it was a student piece from her time at the Salisbury School of Art. However, there was no information about her paintings.
Fortunately, a genealogist, David O’Connor, helped to unravel the mystery. His search through birth, death and marriage records as well as contemporary newspapers and other information in the national archive records began to build a picture of this elusive artist. Within three weeks he had unearthed over 80 historical documents. Her family lived in the Cathedral Close in Salisbury, her father, John Henry Jacob, was a Justice of the Peace, the family was wealthy and well connected in Wiltshire. Ella attended the Salisbury School of Art and subsequently exhibited her paintings in exhibitions in Salisbury, London, Bournemouth, and Dorchester. She also produced painted scenery for theatres in Trowbridge and other venues.
Further research into the family provided a link to Anton Jacob, the last direct descendant of John Henry Jacob, Ella’s father. During a visit to his house, we unearthed John Jacob’s diaries of the late 19th century and letters to Edward Jacob, Ella’s brother who had moved to Sweden. Ella often visited her brother as they shared an interest in painting and through this link, his descendants have been able to provide images of her watercolours. One is of a scene in Italy which was the first definite link to her travelling there. Exhibition catalogues listed scenes from other European countries, but I have yet to find diaries or letters about her travels in Europe.
Although I began to collect information about her paintings, there were unanswered questions, particularly who commissioned this large painting and how did she manage to produce such a good copy as the original was in Italy? In 1849, the Arundel Society was established to promote the arts by publishing chromolithographs of great European paintings, particularly Italian. We discovered that Edward Kaiser had produced a small watercolour of the painting for the Society which was subsequently made into a chromolithograph. These were available through print sellers such as Brown and Co in Salisbury and she may have purchased a print from them.
I was curious to know the connection between Ella, her painting, and the church. A search of church faculties did not provide any information. As her father was a canon at Salisbury Cathedral, his connection may have enabled him to arrange for Ella to undertake the painting for the church. However, there is no correspondence in the Cathedral archives to confirm this theory. Ella was well connected to local aristocratic families such as the Pembrokes and the Fitzwilliams and research into their archives might provide more information.
On her death, Ella left her fortune and personal effects to her twin sister, Edith, and Edith’s deceased daughter’s second husband, Francis Alfred Spencer. The search has now begun to trace descendants who might have inherited any letters, diaries, sketches or paintings belonging to Ella which might answer my remaining questions.
As more information about Ella and her painting is discovered, it is hoped that funds can be raised to conserve her painting and give Ella the recognition she deserves. Like so many amateur female artists of the 19th century, their artistic achievements and lives remain poorly documented.
Post created by Christine Sitwell 14 May 2024
Housekeeping - Part 1
On 25 November 2021, The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) are teaming up with The Institute of Conservation (ICON) to offer an afternoon of online talks, as part of their annual Maintenance Week, on the theme of caring for your old building’s historic fittings, fixtures and furnishings. As is stated on their website, the SPAB, founded in 1877 by William Morris, was established in response to the work of Victorian architects whose enthusiasm for harmful restoration caused irreparable damage. As qualified and ICON accredited conservation professionals, members of the Trusted Conservators network are delighted to be delivering the first of two online training courses introducing and exploring good housekeeping for old houses and other buildings.
View from a window of the Dianabad in Vienna by Nikolaus von Moreau (1830), in the Wien Museum, Vienna
The starting point to the day, will be an introduction by Katy Lithgow to the various chemical, biological and physical threats to collections and interiors - including temperature, RH, light, pollution and pests - to understand how they cause deterioration and what can be done to mitigate against their long-term effects.
This will be followed by a session lead by Helen Lloyd covering the regular care of hard surfaces, such as stone, wooden and tiled floors; plain and decorative glass, windows and mirrors, and ceramics in kitchens and bathrooms.
The final session of the afternoon, jointly presented by Ksynia Marko and Heather Porter, will focus on soft surfaces such as carpets and rugs, wall-hangings, curtains, tapestries and upholstery.
The afternoon is designed to provide information, guidance and practical advice on caring for historic fixtures, fittings and furnishings that may be in daily use or have suffered wear and tear. There will be tips on condition checking, spotting problems and dealing with emergencies, protective and preventive measures to slow deterioration, a range of safe cleaning techniques and the appropriate materials and tools needed for the job in hand, as well as how collections can be best presented. There will be plenty of opportunity for discussion, and delegates’ questions will be answered with information, as necessary, on where to go for further advice.
The November event will be followed in spring 2022 with an afternoon looking at paint, paper, stone and metals in historic interiors. Tap on the button below to access the SPAB bookings page.
If you are interested in bespoke training packages for staff and volunteers in museums, galleries and historic houses please do contact us for further information: contact@trustedconservators.com
Post created by Nicola Walker, 6 September 2021