born 1950 in London; died 1934 in Hampstead, London.

Painter of portraits, genre subjects and landscapes; also a writer.

John Collier is best known as being a portrait painter. He studied at the Slade School of Art, London under Edward Poynter (1836-1919), then moved to Paris where he studied under Jean-Paul Laurens (1838-1921), and continued his studies in Munich. Collier exhibited at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, of which he was a founding member and was made Vice President in 1899. Collier exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1874 and 1834 and was made a member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 1910.

Besides Collier's many portraits, he also painted more academic scenes including Classical and Orientalist subjects inspired by the artist Alma Tadema (1836-1912). Such literary and dramatic subjects often contain idealised female nudes; see Clytemnestra, c.1914 (Worcester City Museums) and An Incantation [A Bacchante] (Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum). Collier even produced a number of domestic scenes taken from contemporary life. These paintings of upper-class women seen elegantly dressed and within grand surroundings offer us a glimpse into the narratives and everyday lives of the upper-classes. Collier was the subject of a retrospective exhibition at Sunderland Art Gallery between 1921-22.

Collier is represented by public collections including Tate, National Portrait Gallery, National Railway Museum, National Trust, Royal Academy of Music and Government Art Collection. Regional collections include those in Bath, Blackburn, Bradford, Brighton, Cambridge, City of London, Colchester, Durham, Godalming, Leamington Spa, Leeds, Newcastle, Northampton, Oxford, Plymouth, Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent, Swindon, Sunderland, Wakefield, Walsall and Worcester, among others.

(Benjamin Angwin – September 2014)