William Hole

William Brassey Hole (7 November 1846 – 22 October 1917) was a Scottish Victorian painter, illustrator, etcher, and engraver. He was known for his industrial, historical and biblical scenes.

Life

Early life and training

Hole was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, the son of a doctor, Richard Brassey Hole and his wife Ann Burn Hole (nee Fergusson); his father died in the cholera epidemic of 1849, when William was only 3 years of age, and the family relocated to Edinburgh, Scotland, shortly afterwards. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy, then served an apprenticeship as a civil engineer for 5 years, although he really wanted to be an artist.

In 1869, he sailed from Swansea to Genoa, and spent the next 6 months travelling and sketching around Italy. In Rome he made the acquaintance of Keeley Halswelle who gave him practical advice on art. It was Halswelle whose criticism encouraged Hole to endeavour to become a professional painter.

Hole's etchings were also highly regarded, one critic describing them as "perhaps the most wonderful translations of colour and handling, of design and conception and spirit, into another artistic medium ever made, and entitle their author to rank with creative artists of the highest class". which later led to the commission for his work at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

In 1898 Hole painted a Processional Frieze for the entrance hall of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, showing over 150 figures or "heroes" from Scotland's past. A critic described this work as "one of the most notable essays in mural decoration ever accomplished in this country". He also provided historical paintings for Edinburgh City Chambers and ecclesiastical decorations for other buildings. In April to May 1906 these pictures were shown at an exhibition at the Fine Art Society in London. He also painted scenes from the Old Testament.

Hole drew the black and white illustrations for several books including works by Robert Louis Stevenson, J M Barrie, and Robert Burns.

In later life he lived at 13 Inverleith Terrace in north Edinburgh, his neighbour at 15 being fellow-artist James Cadenhead.

Hole died in Edinburgh in 1917. He is buried in the Grange Cemetery in the ground of James Lindsay in the centre of the north wall. His name is listed at the base of the monument along with other members of the Hole family.

Selected works These are some of the publications which Hole illustrated: Hole, William. Quasi cursores (Edinburgh Univ. Press, 1884) Stevenson, R. L. The Wrecker (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1892) Stevenson, R. L. Catriona (London: Cassell & Co. Ltd., 1893) MacLaren, Ian. Beside The Bonnie Brier Bush (Hodder & Stoughton, 1896). Barrie, J. M. Auld Licht Idylls (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1902) Barrie, J. M. A Window in Thrums (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1902) Hole, William. The life of Jesus of Nazareth: eighty pictures (Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1906) Hole William. The Holy Bible. Containing The Old And New Testaments (Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1925)

Gallery