Charles Burton Barber

For other people named Charles Barber, see Charles Barber (disambiguation).

Charles Burton Barber
Charles Burton Barber, 1880
Born	1845 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England
Died	1894 London, England
Nationality	English
Alma mater	Royal Academy
Known for	Portraits of children and animals
Notable work	Queen Victoria with John Brown Off To School Suspense
Style	Realism
Elected	Royal Institute of Oil Painters, 1883

Charles Burton Barber (1845–1894) was a British painter who attained great success with his paintings of children and their pets.

Barber was born in Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, and studied from the age of 18 at the Royal Academy, London - receiving a silver medal for drawing in 1864, and first exhibiting there in 1866.

During his lifetime Barber was regarded as one of Britain's finest animal painters and received commissions from Queen Victoria to do paintings of her with grandchildren and dogs, and also the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) and his pets. A number of his portraits are in the Royal Collection. He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1866 to 1893. In 1883 he was elected a member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters.

Barber became a very popular sporting and animal painter, specialising particularly in sentimental portraits of dogs, often with children. His work ranged from photographically realistic to quick sketches. Although some have regarded his work as overly sentimental, his work remains popular, largely because of his competent painting.

Barber received his final commission in 1894 to paint Queen Victoria, with her grandchildren, in her pony-carriage. He died in London soon afterwards. His place as foremost painter of children and pets was taken by Arthur Elsley.

Many of Barber's paintings were made into prints, usually in the medium of photogravure. He exhibited at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Walker Art Gallery and Manchester Art Gallery. Much of his art is at the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight.

Gallery

• 
  Suspense, 1894
• 
  Off to School, 1883
• 
  Queen Victoria with John Brown, 1894
• 
  A Special Pleader, 1893

Further reading

• Furniss, Harry. The Works of Charles Burton Barber (London: Cassell, 1896)

External links

• Barber online (ArtCyclopedia)
• Rehs Galleries, Inc's Bio and image of Off to School
• Biography of Barber
• Works in the Royal Collection
• Biography & Selected Paintings of Charles Burton Barber
• Paintings by Barber (Art Renewal Center Museum)
• Girl with dogs (Painting at the Lady Lever Art Gallery)
• In Disgrace (Painting sold at Christie's in 2007 and biography of Barber)