: Birket Foster R.W.S. Sixteen examples in colour of the artist's work by Cundall H M Herbert Minton Foster Myles Birket Illustrator - Foster Myles Birket 1825-1899

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building. In order that its newness should not offend the artistic eye, he purchased as many weather-worn tiles off the old cottages in the neighbourhood as possible, and placed them on the roof of his house. A great amount of care was bestowed on the internal decorations. William Morris was consulted, and Burne-Jones painted seven canvases illustrating the legend of St. George and the Dragon, which formed a frieze round three sides of the dining-room. Burne-Jones was also commissioned to make many other designs for the adornment of "The Hill"; the decorated tiles round the fire-places and stained glass in the windows were all designed by him. He also painted a large screen of eight folds, upon which were sixteen events of the life of St. Frideswide. These scenes were afterwards reproduced in the windows of Christ Church Cathedral at Oxford.

"The Hill" was an open house to all Birket Foster's friends, and particularly to his brother-artists. He was never more pleased than when he was entertaining his guests, and being specially fond of music, many of the social gatherings were enhanced by musical performances.

One of the most frequent visitors was Frederick Walker, A.R.A.: he was a special favourite, at all times welcome, and was one of the few who had an influence on Birket Foster's painting, especially his figures. He was in the habit of going to Witley whenever he felt inclined, without waiting for an invitation, a bedroom known as "Freddy's room" being reserved for him. Walker had an immense love for the place, which he called "Paradise," and greatly regretted that he had not sufficient money to purchase a cottage which J. C. Hook, R.A., had built near his house, the situation of which Walker considered "romantic--such a sweep of glorious country."

"The stillness here after London is delicious. The only sound is the ring of the village blacksmith's hammer in the distance or the occasional cluck of a hen, and the wind roars through the trees of a night, which lulls me pleasantly to sleep."

As may be seen by glancing through the titles of his exhibited paintings, the neighbourhood around Witley had a great charm for Birket Foster, and drawings made on Hambledon Common and in the village of Chiddingfold--with their picturesque cottages roofed with thatch or red tiles, now fast disappearing, and their leafy lanes with happy children gathering wild-flowers, or the beautiful view from his own residence overlooking the Surrey Weald, with Hindhead and Blackdown in the distance and glimpses of the Brighton Downs beyond--are most appreciated by the public, and it is by these paintings he is best known.

Another phase of Birket Foster's art was his love for painting fruit and flowers. He was greatly attracted by William Hunt's work. As may be expected, the same stippling in paintings by Hunt appears in works of Foster; but whilst the former nearly always painted his fruit pieces the same size as in Nature, the latter produced almost miniature representations of them.

In 1893 Birket Foster was attacked by a serious illness, and yielding to the pressure of medical advice, he was obliged to abandon much of his work and reluctantly to give up "The Hill." He removed to "Braeside," Weybridge, and here he resided quietly, devoting himself to his painting as much as possible, until his death, which occurred six years later. He was buried in Witley churchyard; a Celtic cross, with the simple inscription, "In memory of Birket Foster. Born Feb. 4th, 1825. Died March 27th, 1899," marks the spot where lie the remains of this great water-colour artist, who painted English landscape with such a pure feeling and high perception of the beauty of Nature.

Birket Foster was twice married--firstly, in 1850, to his cousin, Ann Spence, by whom he had five children, three sons and two daughters; and secondly, in 1864, to Frances Watson, a sister to John Dawson Watson, the well-known painter and member of the Old Water-Colour Society.

Transcriber's Notes

Captions were added to the plates for convenience.

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