PAUSA

Christa Zaat

Harold Charles Francis Harvey (British painter) 1874 - 1941
Portrait of Stella Mary Burdett, 1935
oil on canvas
51 x 40.8 cm. (20 x 16 in.)
signed and dated 'Harold Harvey .35'(lower right)
private collection

Harold Harvey grew up in Penzance in the 1870s and 1980s, just as the Cornish coast was becoming a haven for artists who drew their inspiration from the simple rural lifestyle, the unspoilt raw subject matter and the remarkable quality of light. He is unusual in that he is the only artist associated with the Newlyn School who was actually born in the area, going on to study painting under Norman Garstin before travelling to Paris in the 1890s to study at the Atelier Julian. After completing his studies, Harvey returned to Penzance where he married Gertrude Bodinnar, afterwards moving to the coastal village of Newlyn from where he exhibited at the Royal Academy and the Leicester Galleries throughout his lifetime.

Harvey’s oeuvre includes paintings of figures in landscapes, portraits and interior scenes. His early style is reminiscent of the Newlyn Artists, with a concentration on rural subjects, particular the local fishermen, painted where possible in the open air with a restricted palette to emphasise the earthy rustic ideal. By 1908-1910, Harvey began to develop his own unique pictorial language characterised by a brighter palette and more simplified forms.