Photos: Jonathan Russell.

Geoffrey and Christopher Herringham were the sons of Dr. Wilmot Parker Herringham and Christiana Jane Powell. The children’s mother, Christiana (1852-1929), was a committed suffragist and an artist in her own right. Her artistic interests included recording Indian art and reviving medieval tempera techniques. She translated into English a book by the Italian artist Cennino Cennini on painting techniques, written about the year 1400. She also founded the National Art Collections Fund. Christopher sadly developed acute rheumatoid arthritis in 1891 aged only nine, and died two years later. This devastated his mother who suffered periodic mental health issues for the rest of her life.

A selection of Christiana’s work:

• Media: oil on canvas.
• Dimensions: 915 x 915 mm (0.84 m²).
• History: signed and dated, 1889; AKA ‘Portrait of Geoffrey and Christopher Herringham’; exhibited Manchester Art Gallery, 23 Feb 2018 to 6 Jan 2019; Tate Britain, November 2022, “Spotlights: Annie Swynnerton” exhibition.
• Location: Royal Holloway, London.

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