Tennyson Cole Explained

Tennyson Cole
Birth Date:	30 May 1862
Birth Place:	London, England
Nationality:	English
Occupation:	Society portrait painter in both oils and watercolours
Notable Works:	Portraits of the Governor and Lady Hamilton, Duke of Norfolk, Edward VII, George V, Lord Kitchener of Khartoum
Spouse:	Alice Mary Saintsbury (m. 1885; div. 1894)

Philip Tennyson Cole (30 May 1862 – 2 September 1939), generally known as Tennyson Cole, was an English society portrait painter in both oils and watercolours, who first achieved fame in Australasia and South Africa.^[1]

Biography

Cole was born into a family of artists in London in 1862.^[2] As a young boy, Cole received training in art from his father, who was himself a successful painter.^[3] He may have been related to George Vicat Cole.^[4] He was educated at Chiswick College in Middlesex and had his first exhibition in London by age 20.^[2]

Around the age of 19, he fell in love with Alice Mary Saintsbury, an actress, whom he married in 1885, supporting him financially.^[5]

He sailed to Tasmania, arriving in the Doric in 1889.^[6] During the voyage he painted his female companion, a fine contralto who called herself Madame Cole, and several fellow passengers. After a year's stay in Hobart, having completed a good many commissions to general acclaim, including a fine pair of portraits of the Governor and Lady Hamilton, which were presented to the Art Gallery of Tasmania,^[7] he moved to Melbourne. In October 1892, while visiting New Zealand, he was charged in Auckland with deserting his wife in England some three years before.^[8] He was ordered to pay his wife support of £1 per week.

He left Australia from Adelaide aboard the Ormus in September 1893. His erstwhile wife died in Sydney on 7 April 1894.^[9] In August 1895 the (yet to be inaugurated) Perth Art Gallery was donated his portrait of Sir George Grey.^[10] In May 1896 he was working in South Africa. In 1900 he was touring the African interior.^[11] The following year he was back in England and the Royal Academy had an exhibition which included his portrait of the Duke of Norfolk.^[12] In 1902 commissions included Lord Milner and Cecil Rhodes. In 1908 he was granted a series of sittings by the King.^[13] He spent part of the World War I years as a guest of an Indian Maharajah; he died in Tooting Bec Hospital.^[14]

Selected works

In Great Britain

Held in various public collections; listed at Art UK – Your Paintings

• Alderman Lieutenant Colonel Clifford Probyn, Mayor of Westminster (1901–1902) painted 1902
  • Alderman William F. Paul, Mayor of Ipswich Cecil John Rhodes et nos fas extera quaerere regna
• Cecil Rhodes (1853–1902) painted 1902
• Charles Alexander Buckmaster painted 1936
• Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill (1871–1934), 9th Duke of Marlborough
• Duke of Norfolk, 1st Mayor of Westminster (1900–1901)
• Edward VII (1841–1910) painted ca.1908
• General Sir Edmund Allenby (1861–1936), KCB painted ca.1918
• George V (1865–1936) painted ca.1915
• King Edward VII painted 1907
• King Edward VII (1841–1910) painted 1907
• Lord Kitchener of Khartoum (1850–1916) painted ca.1913
• Major General the Right Honourable Lord Cheylesmore, Mayor of Westminster (1904–1906) painted 1906
• Mayor Councillor Viscount Doneraile, Mayor of Westminster (1919–1920) painted 1920
• Owen Cosby Philipps, 1st Baron Kylsant, MP painted 1920
• Portrait of a Governor painted 1898
• Sir Alfred F. Robbins (1856–1931), journalist, Freemason and Freeman
• Sir John Hunt, Town Clerk of the City of Westminster painted 1931
• Sir William Treloar (1843–1923), Lord Mayor of London (1906) painted 1907
• William Mansfield (1855–1921), 1st Viscount Sandhurst
• Violet, Marchioness of Donegall and her son Edward painted 1907 Peerage website

South Africa

• Sir Thomas Upington South African History Online

Australia

• Portraits of Sir Robert and Lady Hamilton, painted in 1890, were donated to the Tasmanian Art Gallery.^[15]
• Hon. Peter Lalor as Speaker held by Ballarat Art Gallery

Bibliography

• Cole, P. Tennyson Vanity Varnished; Reminiscences in Many Colours 1931 London: Hutchinson & Co.^[3]

External links

• Art UK – Your Paintings art site

Notes and References

1. News: Mr. P. Tennyson Cole: Portrait Painter . . 13 . 4 September 1939 .
2. Book: Wills. Walter H.. Barrett. R. J.. The Anglo-African Who's who and Biographical Sketch-book. 1905. George Routledge & Sons, Limited. 30. 5 June 2017. en.
3. News: A Painter's Reminiscences . . Adelaide . 1 August 1931 . 25 October 2014 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
4. News: Mr. Tennyson Cole . . Hobart, Tasmania . 29 November 1890 . 25 October 2014 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
5. News: An Artist's Wives. . . Melbourne . 4 November 1892 . 25 October 2014 . 11 . National Library of Australia.
6. News: Tasmanian News . . Tas. . 2 July 1889 . 25 October 2014 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
7. News: The Governor Hamilton Memorial Fund . . Hobart, Tasmania . 21 May 1895 . 26 October 2014 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
8. News: New Zealand . . Rockhampton, Qld. . 21 October 1892 . 26 October 2014 . 6 . National Library of Australia.
9. News: Family Notices. . . Melbourne . 3 November 1894 . 26 October 2014 . 45 . National Library of Australia.
10. News: News of the Week . . Sydney . 17 August 1895 . 26 October 2014 . 15 . National Library of Australia.
11. News: Anglo-Australian Notes . . Adelaide . 17 July 1901 . 26 October 2014 . 8 . National Library of Australia.
12. News: The Royal Academy . . Adelaide . 15 June 1901 . 26 October 2014 . 9 . National Library of Australia.
13. News: A Wonderful Portrait . . Perth . 30 March 1908 . 26 October 2014 . 9 . National Library of Australia.
14. News: He Earned £60,000, Died Penniles . . Carnarvon, WA . 12 April 1940 . 26 October 2014 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
15. News: Tasmanian Art Gallery . . Hobart, Tasmania . 1 February 1890 . 25 October 2014 . 1 Supplement: The Mercury Supplement . National Library of Australia.