John Callcott Horsley

John Callcott Horsley (29 January 1817 – 18 October 1903) was an English academic painter of genre and historical scenes, illustrator, and designer of the first Christmas card. He was a member of the artists' colony in Cranbrook.

Childhood and education Horsley was born in London, the son of William Horsley, the musician, and grand-nephew of Sir Augustus Callcott. His sister Mary Elizabeth Horsley wed the famous British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1836. Horsley was mentored by William Mulready and Augustus Wall Callcot who sent him at age thirteen to study at Dr Henry Sass's academy where he met D.G Rossetti, J. Millais and W.P. Frith; in his biography Horsley recalls Dr Sass as being vain and untalented. Following preparatory school Horsley studied painting at the Royal Academy schools where he met Thomas Webster. He exhibited The Pride of the Village at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1839. It was later part of the Vernon Gift to the nation.

Family life The Morning of St Valentine, 1863Horsley married Elvira Walter in 1846 with whom he had three sons: Edward (1848), Frank (1849), and Harry (1850). Elvira died of consumption in 1852 followed by the deaths of Edward and Harry in 1854 and Frank in 1857 due to scarlet fever.

Horsley remarried, to Rosamund Haden, who came from a family of distinguished surgeons—her father Charles Haden had a practice in Sloan Street and her brother Francis Seymour Haden was a surgeon and etcher, who founded the Royal Society of Painters, Etchers and Engravers in 1880. Rosamund gave birth to Walter Charles (1855–1934), Hugh (1856), Victor (1857-1916), Emma (1858), Fanny (1859-1949), Gerald (1862) and Rosamund Brunel (1864-1949). Gerald grew up to be an architect, Walter an artist also studying at the RA Schools. and Youth and Age (1839), both of which are now part of the V&A collection. He painted Religion (1847) in the House of Lords, and Satan touched by Ithuriel's Spear while whispering evil dreams to Eve (1848). He also produced three of the four full-page plates illustrating the Main Sacraments for the 1845 illuminated Book of Common Prayer designed by Owen Jones. In 1864 he became a Royal Academician (RA). Horsley had much to do with organizing the winter exhibitions of "Old Masters" at Burlington House after 1870.

He resigned from the academy in 1897, and became a "retired Academician". In 1843 Horsley designed the first ever Christmas card, commissioned by Henry Cole. It caused some controversy because it depicted a small child drinking wine. He also designed the Horsley envelope, a pre-paid envelope that was the precursor to the postage stamp.

In 1856 Horsley was photographed at "The Photographed Institute" by Robert Howlett, as part of a series of portraits of "fine artists". The picture was among a group exhibited at the Art Treasures Exhibition in Manchester in 1857.

Horsley was a member of the London-based Etching Club contributing illustrations to editions of "The Deserted Village" (Oliver Goldsmith) and "Songs of Shakespeare". He also illustrated a number of other books including "Little Princes" by Eliza Slater (London: Henry G. Bohn, 1890).

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