Henry Keyworth Raine

Self portrait ( as diogenes ) by Henry Keyworth Raine

Henry Keyworth Raine ( 1872-1932), the great nephew of William Powell Frith,^[1] was an English school portrait oil painter.

Born in York, he was the son of the Reverend James Raine and Ann Jane Keyworth.

Raine was commonly known as 'The cellar artist '.^[2] The techniques he employed in his underground studio off Hanover square in the west end of London were an effort to recreate the style and results of artists he admired, such as Titian, Rembrandt and Velazquez.^[3] Painting by candlelight, using only three colours on his pallet and using specially commissioned black canvas, Raine was able to complete a portrait in a mere five hours, meaning the sitter would only need to visit his studio on one occasion. The interest in Raine spread across the world and stories revolving around his method of painting in the dark were printed.^[4] Many politicians, aristocrats and socialites^[5] became patrons of his work, including Sir Neville Chamberlain K.C.B, Lady Chamberlain, Lord and Lady Iveagh, Lord Kingston, The Countess of Shaftesbury, Lord Effingham, Sir Claude De Crespigny and Mrs. Fritz Ponsonby, the wife of the private secretary to the King. In 1895, Henry was commissioned to paint the portrait of Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, the sixth child of Queen Victoria at Kensington palace.

York Art Gallery contains some examples of his work^[6]

An extract from John Ward Knowles, history of York artists reads as follows:

Raine, Keyworth. [Died 01/01/1934 aged 61].

Son of the Rev Chancellor Raine, the eminent antiquary. Educated first at St Peter's School and, after trying several occupations, he took up painting, without any preliminary training but with a faculty for imitation. His first attempt was to paint a portrait of one of the policemen at the Minster, which of course was very amateurish but had a resemblance of the man. He next operated on one of the vergers, Harland, with similar results and found that without a knowledge of drawing failure was evident. He then attended the York School of Art but the routine of training proved irksome. He, however, again attempted portraiture and, afterwards, paid a visit to his great uncle, Mr Frith, (who was then staying at his old home at Harrogate) to whom he showed his work. The advice was given with Mr Frith's usual frankness and to the effect "that he was to study on proper lines and a proper master". London was now sought and art was studied in its canonical manner but without a good result. He, therefore, returned to York and continued to paint in his own way, unfettered either by schools or individual methods. In 1895 he succeeded in obtaining a commission to paint Her Royal Highness the Princess Louise at Kensington Palace. After being thus honoured commissions were not wanting. The year following he made the painting of miniatures his chief study at which he succeeded, some of them being well modelled and carefully finished.

In 1896 he made an offer to the Philosophical Society to paint a portrait of his late father, which he would present to the Society where his father had been such an active member and worker. This generous offer was accepted. In 1901 he exhibited four pictures in the York Fine Art Exhibition, one being a portrait of himself after the style of Rembrandt, which he had been recently studying. The study of Rembrandt's work seems to have resulted in the formulation of a new theory of chiaro obscuro, obtained by admitting only a narrow ray of light on to the sitter and painting the picture in almost absolute darkness. Mr Keyworth Raine fitted up such a studio in a cellar opposite St George's, Hanover Square and in it he painted several portraits which have caused much wonderment in art circles. In Oct 1904 The Archbishop of York paid a visit to this cellar studio and expressed great interest in the work.

To test the genuineness of Mr Raine's method a challenge was sent to him to paint a portrait of Mr Edwin Drew "under the conditions of darkness which he has selected in his cellar studio and to call in the press and public to watch the artist's method". Mr Raine accepted the challenge and a room in the Hotel Metropole was fixed up on the principle Mr Raine adopted, and, in the presence of literary journalists and art critics, Mr Raine commenced his work at noon. At one o'clock he ceased and the picture was locked up. On the second day the painting was resumed at the same hour and the keenest interest was taken in its approach to completion. The last moment came and the artist laid down his brushes. The picture was placed in a gold frame and the curtains drawn to let in the daylight. "All voiced the decision that Raine had discharged his task to the letter". A fine portrait of power, originality and high appeal, done in the darkness, by an artist whose methods of new treatment, while all investigation was before the keenest critics, constituted an agreement for the painter's theory that all art lovers must regard. "Mr Saul, the veteran RA, informed Mr Raine that to paint as he does in the dark is a most extraodinary thing and constitutes a great mystery. To use his own wrds he said to Mr Raine "You are one of the riddles of 1904 and you will be the great riddle of 1905" He afterwards had an exhibition of portraits in a room at 27a, Old Bond Street which was described as done "with the Dutch method of colouring" and the impression on entering was of a wealth of colour, a richness of tone and a disregard of the usual method of painting. The portraits comprised one of Lady Evelyn Guiness, Lady Marjorie Erskine, Miss Cynthia Fitzclarence, Miss Cooper, Mrs Turner Phillips and Mrs Hulton. The portrait of Mrs Turner Phillips being executed in eight hours. His studio was at the Queen Anne Studios, 60, Firth Street, Shaftesbury Avenue.

1909 At the exhibition of pictures in the Albert Hall, in July, several portraits by Keyworth Raine attracted much attention, one unfinished and unnamed, another of Lady Humphrey and a third of Countess Maffei[?], the general tone of which was a striking contrast to the majority of the portraits in the gallery, each having much in common with the Dutch school of painting. Mr Raine's work has caused much speculative opinion and describes his method as "the short way through the difficulties of portraiture and the quickest way to advance in art". Mr Raine also reverts back to the method of the early masters, who made their own colours and prepared their own canvas. Mr Raine's canvas is black and he uses the four primary colours, the first stage being painted in black and white, the work begun in darkness and finished in a bright stream of light. In the Graphic of March 26, 1921 is a portrait of the artist with a short account of him. He is represented nude to the waist and a candle on his head by which light he painted the picture which took him 5 months. It is now in the York Fine Art Exhibition.

In a leaflet Keyworth Raine states that he has, in 4 periods of his career, rediscovered the methods adopted by the Old Masters. The 1st was carried on under the tuition of W P Frith, 1897 to 1903. Sitters Archbishop William Maclagan, Countess of Shaftesbury, Right Hon F J Saville, Lady Wilmot and daughter. His own portrait, 1900. 2nd period Sept 1903 to May 1911. Half light, in a cellar as a studio, opposite St George's Church, Hanover Square. Sitters: Viscount Iveagh, Lady Evelyn Guiness and 27 commissions in Ireland, Sir John & Lady Arnott, Sir Neville and Lady Chamberlain, Lady Lillian Boyd, with others in Paris, Lady Magdalen, William Bulkely. The first in this period, Lady Alwyne Compton and the last, Hon Mrs Edward Littleton. 3rd period May 1911 to Nov 1912 was in full daylight to improve the method of colouring, Hon Mrs Geo Brooke, Sir Claude Champion de Crespigny, Sir Jas Hills-Johnes. The paintings of Van Eyck and Memling and the Castle Howard Mabuse, nearly 500 years old, are executed in the manner rediscovered during the middle of the third period and may be referred to for their perfect state of preservation. 4th period Jan 1913 shows development reached by applying the improved colouring of the 3rd period to lamplight. A portable lamp is used to obtain the same light in every case and the sitter choses the place and the hour. Preparing oil and crushing colour, which forms part of the rediscovery of Old Masters' methods, reached perfection in their hands with experience gained by whole schools, each artist adding something to general knowledge. Colours prepared wholesale by the Professional Artists' Colourman are not permanent if used with methods applied by the Old Masters. The sinking produced by time, and allowed for by modern portrait painters by painting thickly, cannot give the beauty obtained at first with the old Dutch method of colouring. Portraits have been painted in 8 County Houses in England, Ireland and France. An extract from Sir Joshua Reynolds XIVth Discourse - By candlelight not many objects appear more beautiful but from their being in a greater breadth of light and shadow as well as having a great breadth of uniformity of colour, nature in a higher style etc, etc....... to Guercino who is supposed to have painted by candlelight.

Keyworth Raine's Portrait, April 7, 1921 is painted in the technique of the Old Masters and, so far as the torso is concerned, the work is very carefully executed, the anatomy being carefully defined but the flesh tone is far too leathery and heavy. The head is more life like and very well painted but, again, the flesh tones are too ruddy and the shadows heavy. Although he is supposed to hold a lighted candle above his head the lighting of the figure is from the front and not from the top. The picture is heavily varnished. Hanging directly opposite is a portrait of his father and a very good likeness. The painting of it is much better than that of K. Raine. A slight uncertainty hangs about the shadows of the cheek and mouth. Acct of Keyworth Raine in Graphic March 26, 1921 by Colin Cathcart who writes copiouly about his methods. 1926 A portrait of George Kirby, Curator of the Art Gallery has been painted by Mr K Raine and was presented to the Art Gallery Chairman at a meeting held at the Mansion House. York Herald July 30. Notes on Keyworth Raine work: 1896, I saw a portrait of his aunt Mrs Hodgkinson done in oils but miniature size. It was very carefully worked and well modelled and fairly good in colour, although too red for miniature work. The likeness also was absent. Also one of himself, very well painted both as to likeness, form and colour. 1899 He painted Canon Watson (Kit-Cat Club) and obtained a fairly good likeness, although somewhat incorrect in drawing, but the colouring was leathery, a fault he cannot overcome. (Exhibition at Hurworths). In Sept. the same year he painted Canon Fleming, which was good as a likeness but much wanting in dignity. It was better painted than Canon Watson's. 1901 He exhibited 4 pictures in the summer exhibition; A copy of Velasquez, very poor indeed. A study of a girl, after the style of the "Master", as also a portrait of himself in a Sombrero hat - both pictures were bad, bad in colour and bad in manipulation.

Pictures painted by Keyworth Raine:

Archbishop of York

Countess of Shaftesbury

Lord and Lady Iveagh

Sir Neville and Lady Chamberlain

Lord Effingham

Lord March In

1903 Exhibition he exhibited a Portrait of Miss Cooper Bertram,

son of Lord C Kerr ,

Portrait of himself, 15 x 12, painted Feb 1900, purchased by me April 1927.^[7]

References