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Highlights

Abbey Altson (1869 – 1948) - Painter of "The Golden Age"

19th Century Fine Art Legacy

Altson was born at Middlesbrough on the River Tees, Yorkshire, England, circa 1869. In 1882, when he was 13 years old, he moved to St. Kilda, Australia (near Melbourne) to live with his aunt and uncle. Altson went to work in a tannery but liked to draw and sketch [4] and this led to him showing his work to the painting master at the Melbourne National Gallery School, George Folingsby. Apparently, Folingsby’s reaction was favorable and Altson undertook part-time study at the school in 1885-86. He was awarded an honorable mention for a still-life at the art students’ annual exhibition at the National Gallery in 1886. His art education continued with full-time study at the gallery school from 1887-90 receiving student prizes in 1887, 1888 and 1890. [4] In 1889, he painted en plein air with other student artists at the artists ‘camp’ (i.e., art colonies) at the Eaglemont Estate near Melbourne. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

The year 1890 was to set him on his future path. That year Altson was awarded the Traveling Scholarship and he left Melbourne for Paris, France to study at the Academie Julian. In 1892, his painting “Echo” won a medal and in 1892, his painting “The Golden Age” received an honorable mention at the Paris Salons. Interestingly, the model for the “Golden Age” would become his wife. [4, 2, 5] [1, 2, 5]

In 1894, Altson moved to London. There he first worked as .an illustrator for “The Illustrated London News,” “The Pall Mall Magazine,” and “Windsor Magazine,” among other printed media. He then focused primarily on portraiture which included portraits of his uncle and aunt with whom he had lived in St. Kilda. Also in 1894, his painting “The Golden Age” was accepted for exhibition by the Royal Academy (London) and the following year Altson was elected to the Royal Society of British Artists. [1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

Prior to World War I (1914-18), Altson had met Indian Prince Ranjitsinnnjji of Nawanger (Ranga Singh, Maharaja of Nawanga). who offered him a contract for the position of court painter. The war intervened; however, the contract was renewed in 1924 and Altson soon left for India. He would paint the portraits of ruling princes and members of the royal family. [4] He was also tasked with painting murals throughout the palace. After a successful interlude in India, Altson returned to London in 1927. [4, 5]

Altson would remain in London for approximately ten years, and in 1937 he moved to New York City, where he acquainted himself with the art dealers on 5th Avenue. Portraits and genre were still his focus and he painted a portrait of lyricist Oscar Hammerstein, II, now in the National Portrait Gallery in Wasington, D.C. [3, 5, 9]

Altson tended toward Classicism or Romanticism in his paintings. This was especially true of his earlier works. In 1894, an English critic speaking of Altson’s painting “The Golden Age” made the following comment:

“It is of the French school, and eminently unattractive; those only will yearn to live in such period as depicted by Mr. Altson who may desire to wear no clothes, and to fool about after an aimless fashion in a dreary yellow waste. But perhaps the moral of the picture is to teach greater contentment with the Victorian Age, in which perforce we have to pass our own brief span of life.” [10]

I would tend to disagree that it is unattractive. A bit too risqué for this this Victorian critic, yes? Nude, nubile nymphs presented in a classical manner, playing a lute and flute; perhaps it was just too “French” for English Victorian sensibilities of the late 1890s. I might mention that Altson made studies for this painting, using nude models (one of which was his future wife), having them pose en plein air, making use of a remote site on the French Island of Noi Moutier. Out of sight of prying eyes, he “he obtained some very beautiful studies of flesh, golden in the full light, with tender roses and purples in the half-lights.” [2]

To put everybody’s sensibilities at ease, Altson also painted beautiful landscapes -- in high-tones and with loose brushwork and colorful, detailed floral still-lifes that are evidence of his skill as an illustrator.
The painter of Rajas died in New York City in 1948.

Written by Joan Hawk, Researcher and Co-Owner Bedford Fine Art Gallery, January 16, 2025.
Use only with the permission of Bedford Fine Art Gallery.

References:

  1. Robb, Gwenda and Smith, Elaine, 1993, Concise Dictionary of Australian Artists, p. 5, Melbourne University Press. (www.internetarchive.org; accessed (01/07/2026).
  2. The Magazine of Art, 1895, p. 394, Cassel and Company, Limited, London, Paris and Melbourne. (www.internetarchive.com; accessed 01/07/2026).
  3. Stewart, Brian and Cutten, Mervyn, 1997, The Dictionary of British Portrait Painters: Up to 1920, p. 74, Antique Collectors’ club Ltd., Woodbridge, Suffolk. (www.internetarchive.com; accessed 01/07/2026).
  4. McCulloch, Alan, 1969, Encyclopedia of Australian Art, p. 32, Frederick A. Praeger, Publishers, New York, Washington. (www.internetarchive.org; accessed 01/07/2026).
  5. Finemore, Brian, 1977, An Introduction to the Australian Collection in the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia. (www.internetarchive.org; accessed 01/07/2026).
  6. Kolenberg, Hendrik, Ryan, Anne, James, Patricia, 2005, 19th century Australian watercolors, drawing & pastels, p. 114, Art Gallery of New South Wales (www.internetarchive.org; accessed 01/07/2026).
  7. Houfe, Simon, 1978, revised 1981, The Dictionary of British Book Illustrators and caricaturists, 1800-1914, p. 219, Woodridge, England. (www.internetarchive.org; accessed 01/07/2026).
  8. The Academy, Vol. XLVIII, No. 1224, October 19, 1895, p. 322 (www.internetarchive.org; accessed 01/07/2026).
  9. Neumaier, Linda, 1978, compiler, National Portrait Gallery Smithsonian Institute Permanent Collection Illustrated Checklist, p. 60, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington.
  10. The Antiquary, June 1894, p. 138, Open Court Publishing. (internetarchive.org; accessed 1/07/2026).

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Thank you again so much for the information, Jerry.

Allison G.
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