Artists, Hastings & Hastings Country Park

I have written before about 19th century artists coming to Hastings and its environs to admire the scenery and to paint, particularly 6 years ago when I wrote a blog about Watercolourists, notably J.M.W. Turner, and a blog about the Pre-Raphaelites. Well, I reminded myself many times whilst walking across Hastings Country Park for my exercise during the COVID-19 Crisis and observing this view down Warren Glen, and particularly when filming this video whilst looking down the glen and admiring the cattle.

One of the founding members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, William Holman Hunt, came to Hastings a number of times, particularly in 1852 to carry out a commission, Our English Coasts, a visit during which he was accompanied by Edward Lear, who requested tutoring, and when they stayed at Clive Vale Farm, which no longer exists. This is discussed in my earlier blog, as is Hunt's painting of the daughter of a local labourer, The Schoolgirl's Hymn. Hunt and Lear were joined by Millais for some of that time, and Hunt was accompanied by Millais again during a later visit in 1858 where they stayed at Fairlight Lodge, when he worked on Fairlight Downs, Sunlight on the Sea (above) which he had originally started during the first visit 6 years previously, and The Schoolgirl's Hymn, which was completed in 1859. 

You will notice that the first photograph above is from slightly below the view from where Holman Hunt worked on Fairlight Downs, Sunlight on the Sea, but this field now is more likely to have either Exmoor Ponies or Belted Galloway Cattle in it, rather than sheep. Also, the dog in the painting was added later I believe, and is likely a black spaniel, but it was suggested in correspondence with Dante Gabriel Rossetti that it was based on the Clive Vale farmer's Newfoundland dog that Hunt met during the 1852 visit.

The fun they had... 😉 and it is a great view, enjoy!

Daily Walks & Hastings Proud Record Regarding COVID-19

Not much has happened, to me anyway, since Lockdown Mark 2 began... I've walked quite a bit over my first lockdown regular route across Hastings Country Park Local Nature Reserve, and not been inside a pub. 😒 But I have seen a few people I know/have as new friends because of my first lockdown wandering (mostly dog walkers), and been beeped by passing vehicles with drivers I know (not just because I stepped into the road in front of them 😉). Anyway, yesterday was a lovely day to walk, even if a bit misty, for example, the photograph looking back westwards above.

At Fairlight and looking back across Warren Glen (above), still a wee bit misty but it was a lovely bright day yesterday... But, before I go on about walking, I shan't keep you in suspense about the COVID-19 incidence in Hastings. I shall link you to SussexLive, which tells us that Hastings has the lowest incidence of COVID-19 in England and Wales, if not quite in the UK, apparently the incidence in the Scottish Highlands is lower. Anyway, I have regularly reported about the low incidence in Hastings, which SussexLive tells us is now the equivalent of 31.3 cases per 100,000, compared to the average of 167 per 100,000 in England (BBC). Obviously it's healthy in Hastings! 👍

So, back to my walking, but to my equivalent walk today, and I took this photograph from the steps up the East Hill of one of the catamarans coming in to land at about 07.20, again, a wee bit misty, but not so bad really, and great to see the fishing fleet still going out, about 5 fishing boats were missing from the beach as far as I could see...

I walked over to Fairlight again, pleased to hear quite a bit of chatter among the birds accompanying me, particularly Robin song, where it was a bit more misty than back in Hastings town (Warren Glen above), and I thought I'd share a comparative image:

One of the original 19th century Pre-Raphaelite artists, William Holman Hunt painted Fairlight Downs, Sunlight on the Sea (immediately above) looking down from about 20-30 yards to the right of where I took the photograph of Warren Glen (above) this morning. This painting is now in the private collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber; if you want to read about other links between the Pre-Raphaelites and Hastings, please go to this blog which I wrote a few years ago and, believe me, there are many connections!

Back in Hastings, and it is certainly quieter than usual, as you'd expect, but nowhere near as quiet as during the first lockdown, and certainly more traffic on the roads.

Anyway, please stay safe folks, mind your social distancing, wear face coverings where required, and wash hands regularly, very important... Look after yourselves!

 

Hastings to Rye Walk - Yesterday

My brother and I left Hastings at a reasonable time early-ish yesterday morning, with the aim of missing as much of the forecast rain as possible, and walked towards Rye with the wind behind us for most of they way! The photograph above was taken looking back over Fairlight Glen, a popular place to paint in the 19th century, particularly by Pre-Raphaelite artist William Holman Hunt (blog).

Once we'd completed crossing Hastings Country Park (blog) and cliffs, we descended to Pett Level, where we had a bite to eat, we carried on along The Royal Military Canal (website), constructed from Hythe to Pett to defend against the perceived threat of Napoleon in the early 19th century. We continued along by the canal to Winchelsea, where we walked up to the road and reached the 13th century New Gate (website).

Winchelsea's "New Gate"

Proud parents & their 4 teenagers

We walked through and then around the North of Winchelsea, returning to the wetlands, where we were followed by rain for the last 2 miles of our walk. Okay, we had damp backs to our legs, but we did miss the worst of the rain, mostly!

So, we arrived in Rye and walked up the interesting old streets to St Mary's Church...

Once up at the top of the hill and in St Mary's Church, I loved the stained glass window of another Pre-Raphaelite artist (1891), and best friend of Arts & Crafts Movement hero of mine William Morris, that is Edward Burne-Jones, an aspect of which was featured on the 2009 Christmas 90p postage stamp (St Mary's website).

We then had a pint each at The Queen's Head and caught the train home soon after as it was hectic in Rye, the walk there took about 4 hours, but we were back in Hastings in not much more than 20 minutes!

The Pre-Raphaelites in 19th Century Hastings

St Clements

Whilst in my arty mood, I thought today I'd look at the fascination some of the members of the 'Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood', and their friends and families, had for Hastings and its environs in the 19th century. In particular, I'll discuss Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-82) and his model, lover, muse and wife, Lizzie Siddal (1829-62), their time together in the High Street, and their marriage at St Clements Church. 

I shall also discuss other members of the Rossetti family, and a group of artists, including the 2 other Pre-Raphaelite founders, William Holman Hunt (1827-1910) and John Everett Millais (1806-73), and Edward Lear (1812-88), perhaps better known for his other artistic leaning that uses words.  

5 High Street

There is a blue plaque at number 5 in the High Street that refers to Lizzie's visit to Hastings in 1854 (for health reasons, though the plaque doesn't say this of course), and to Rossetti. However, this wasn't her first visit, having previously stayed at number 5 for health reasons in 1852 as well. Gabriel joined her in Hastings after attending his father's funeral. He too had visited before, though, with his family, when he was 8 years old in 1836, having stayed a few doors further down the High Street.   

Rossetti's sketch of Lizzie

Lizzie had become an accomplished artist under Gabriel's tutorship, and received a stipend from John Ruskin, who favoured and supported her work. Whilst in Hastings, Gabriel drew many sketches of Lizzie; a well known pen & ink drawing of her, by an upstairs window at number 5, is now in the Victoria & Albert Museum, South Kensington, London. 

When Gabriel came down in 1860 and proposed to Lizzie, who was already in Hastings at number 5, again convalescing, they moved to lodgings next door to the Cutter pub, at number 12 East Parade. The husband and daughter of their new landlady, Alfred and Jane Chatfield, were the witnesses at the couple's wedding.   

81 High Street

Years later, Gabriel's sister, the poet Christina Rossetti (1830-94), who had already visited with the Rossetti family in 1836 too, rented an apartment at 81 High Street, for the winter and spring of 1864-65. She returned again in 1873, staying at Robertson Terrace, the address and its neighbouring buildings now occupied by Debenhams. 

Christina was very fond of Hastings and wrote a short novel based in the town, 'The Waves of this Troublesome World: a Tale of Hastings Ten Years Ago' (1867). She wrote poetry whilst in the town on both later visits, and declared Hastings to be "almost my favourite spot in England." 

Cayley's rather overgrown grave

Christina's good friend, who is now buried in Hastings Cemetery, Charles Bagot Cayley (1823-83), had asked her to marry him, but she refused as he was an agnostic, and she a catholic. She wrote a poem about Cayley called 'The Wombat', which was a nickname he received from Gabriel (who had quite a thing about wombats, note the self-portrait below where he mourns the loss of 'Top' one of two wombats he owned, amongst other exotic animals!), and she also wrote 'One Seaside Grave' about the grave of Cayley.  

Rossetti's self-portrait mourning 'Top'

That is enough of the Rossettis for now, and so I move on to the artistic trio of Holman-Hunt, Millais and Lear. Hunt had heard of Hastings through one of his pupils, Robert Martineau, whose parents lived up at Fairlight Lodge. In 1852 Martineau introduced Hunt to Edward Lear, who was already self-taught as an artist, but who wished to improve his technique by learning from Hunt. 

Fairlight Lodge

Hunt had just obtained a commission for a painting, and decided to paint near Fairlight, in addition, tutoring Lear whilst down here, who had found them lodgings at Clive Vale Farm. They stayed at the farm for the summer and autumn of 1852, receiving regular visits from other artists whilst there, including from Millais. When Millais  and Hunt visited in later years they stayed at Fairlight Lodge.  

Our English Coasts aka Strayed Sheep

Hunt's commissioned painting, 'Our English Coasts', later known as 'Strayed Sheep', (1852) looks across Fairlight Glen westwards towards Hastings, and is now at the Tate Gallery, Millbank. Hunt also painted 'Fairlight Downs, Sunlight on the Sea', although he didn't complete this painting until he returned to Fairlight Lodge with Millais in 1858; this painting is now in Andrew Lloyd Webber's private collection.  

The School-Girl's Hymn

Whilst staying in the area, Hunt also painted the delightful 'The School-Girl's Hymn' in 1859, the model being Miriam Wilkinson, the daughter of a Hastings labourer; this can be seen at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.   

Lear returned to Clive Vale Farm in September 1861, following the death of his sister, and having completed a commissioned painting in Florence. He describes making regular walks to Hastings in his diaries, having made friends here. Clive Vale Farm was sold in March 1862, and became a housing development, which is now part of Hastings.  

Many thanks to relevant owners for images shown that are not my own. This is a re-written, slightly extended, article that I originally penned last year.