Charles H. M. Kerr

Charles Henry Malcolm Kerr (22 January 18587 December 1907) (also known as C. H. M. Kerr or Charles Kerr) was a British portrait, genre, landscape painter and illustrator of the late Victorian era perhaps best known for his illustrations for the adventure novels of H. Rider Haggard.

Career Born in London, one of six sons and two daughters of Robert Malcolm Kerr (1821–1902), a Judge of the City of London Court, and Maria Susannah Soley Kerr, Charles Kerr was educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. On leaving Oxford he studied at the Royal Academy Schools and at the Académie Julian in Paris. He exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy from 1884, including 'Wargrave Church', 'The Oldest Inhabitant', 'An Academy Picture' and numerous portraits.

Kerr also exhibited at the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, Royal Society of British Artists and New English Art Club, as well as at the Royal Hibernian Academy, Manchester City Art Gallery and the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. In 1890 he was elected a Member of the Royal Society of British Artists. He married Gertrude Lizzie Giles (1864–1941), who posed for his 1905 painting 'The Visitor', now in the collection of the Tate. She presented a number of his pictures to public collections throughout Great Britain from Hastings, Salford and Leeds.

Addiction and decline

In 1906 Kerr was admitted to the Priory, a private clinic, and then to the Manor House asylum, a private mental hospital located in Chiswick in south-west London; at this time he was addicted to morphine.

On his admission his doctor wrote of him:

'He is described as being normally rather reserved, and has done some good work painting, his portraits having been accepted by the Academy…. Broke down last spring and became irritable & excitable. Taken by Dr Lord to his "home" at Hampstead, then began to smash things, & threaten, and evidently in a condition of absolute insane excitement, was certified & sent to the Priory.'