| Richard Hayley Lever | ||
| Birth Date: September 28, 1875 |
||
| Death Date: December 6, 1958 Artist Gallery |
||
| This Australian-born artist, Richard Haley Lever, first settled in England in 1893 where his paintings of St. Ives established his interest in depicting harbor scenes. Lever’s close friend, Ernest Lawson, persuaded him to immigrate to the United States in 1911.
In the summer of 1915, Lever made his first visit to Gloucester. Arriving there apparently early in July, he was immediately charmed with the place. He wrote “…settled at this place and like it very much indeed. It resembles Cornwall…up to now (I’ve) done watercolors and they seemed to be tremendously well liked. They are the best I’ve done by far.”
Lever was a versatile painter, one who was never confined to a single range of subjects or to a single approach to painting any subject. He is best known for his marine and busy harbor scenes. In almost all his work, he demonstrated a strong line and vigorous color. The single most important influence in his work was Vincent Van Gogh, an influence noted both at the beginning and the end of his life.
Lever was badly crippled by arthritis, and was almost completely immobile toward the end of his life. Furthermore, his life was hampered by poverty and neglect. Ironically, this can happen in the art field, his work revived within a few years after his death.
Hayley Lever’s comment concerning belated recognition of artists would have aptly applied to himself. “Honest work, honestly done will some time be appreciated and understood.”
|
||