Life Thomas Seddon

the citadel of cairo, 1856



jerusalem , valley of jehoshaphat hill of evil counsel, 1854. (tate gallery)

seddon born on 28 august 1821 in aldersgate street in city of london, son of well-known cabinet-maker of same name. educated @ school conducted on pestalozzian system rev. joseph barron @ stanmore, , worked father until 1841, when sent paris study ornamental art.

he returned work in family business. although seddon had decided become painter, continued study design conscientiously, attending thomas leverton donaldson s lectures on architecture , studying works in british museum. in 1848 design ornamental sideboard won him silver medal society of arts. meanwhile, took lessons @ charles lucy s drawing school in camden town, , attended life classes held artists society @ clipstone street. in summer of 1849, went north wales, visiting betws-y-coed, popular destination artists, made first serious attempts @ landscape painting. next year went barbizon in forest of fontainbleau, made studies in oil.

by beginning of 1848 seddon had come contact pre-raphaelite movement, having met ford madox brown, , during 1850 worked on copy of chaucer @ court of edward iii in brown s studio. around time involved in setting of north london school of drawing , modelling, art school working men in camden town. @ end of 1850 suffered severe attack of rheumatic fever, during which – apparently close death – reconciled organised religion, having stopped attending church years before; according brother s memoir knew him best regard[ed] sickness turning point in spiritual history, , commencement of practical christianity. after illness seddon left father s business, relocated gray s inn road. moved rooms in percy street, off tottenham court road, completed painting of figure subject, penelope, first work shown @ royal academy. visited wales again in late 1851 , following summer went dinan in brittany sisters staying; landscape painted there shown @ royal academy next year.

seddon spent of part of 1853 preparing journey egypt in company of 1 of brotherhood s founders, william holman hunt. in june went dinan again, painted large , elaborate landscape showing ruined monastery of léhon. seddon left france egypt in november, arriving in alexandria on 6 december, , moved on cairo, hunt not having yet arrived.

seddon , hunt set camp near pyramids, englishman called nicholson, terminally ill, , died there. then, in change of plan, 2 artists decided move on jerusalem, sailing mouth of nile in late may. on arrival seddon left hunt in city, , pitched tent on hill looking valley of jehosophat, view of biblical sites of garden of gethsemane , mount of olives, painted of highly finished landscape jerusalem , valley of jehoshaphat hill of evil counsel. left city france in october 1854.

although valley of jehosphat exhibited subtitle painted on spot during summer , autumn months, seddon continued work on in dinan, along oil painting , 2 watercolours begun in jerusalem,. finished it, hunt, following return london in january 1855 , showed first time @ exhibition in studio in berners street in march of same year. eastern subjects exhibited again following year in conduit street.

in october 1856 seddon visited cairo again, died of dysentry there on 23 november. in 1857 works exhibited in gallery of society of arts, , jerusalem , valley of jehoshaphat, purchased subscription , presented national gallery. john ruskin pronounced seddon s views of egypt , palestine first landscapes uniting perfect artistical skill topographical accuracy; being directed, stern self-restraint, no other purpose of giving persons cannot travel trustworthy knowledge of scenes ought interesting them .

a memoir of seddon, brother, john pollard seddon, published in 1859.