Draft:Arthur H. Vachell


 * The intro source from www.tfaoi.org provides a reliable source that includes the subject's birth and death dates. It is a PDF, so it is accessible. I've added a 2nd source that shows these dates from the St Thomas à Becket Church, Widcombe memorial inscriptions. I hope this helps. Greg Henderson (talk)8:03, 10 May 2024 (UTC)

Arthur H. Vachell (November 8, 1864 – June 1, 1933), also known as A. V., was an English watercolorist who was associated with the art colony in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. He made contributions to the Forest Theater from 1911 to 1923, in stage set design and painting. He crafted woodblocks utilized for printing theater posters. Alongside his brother, Horace Annesley Vachell, he is credited with introducing the sport of polo to the West Coast. Eventually, he returned to England, where he and his brother purchased Widcombe Manor House, situated in Widcombe, Bath. His work has been represented within the permanent collections of the Monterey Museum of Art.

Early life and education
Vachell was born on November 8, 1864, in Dover, England. He was the third of three sons. His older siblings included the writer Horace Annesley Vachell and Lucy, while his younger brother was Guy. His father, Richard Tanfield Vachell, was a former landowner, and his mother, Georgina, was the daughter of Arthur Lyttelton-Annesley. Vachell received his education at Harrow School, where he studied art.

Ranching
In 1881, Vachell and his two brothers, Arthur and Guy, relocated to California, buying land at Rancho Corral de Piedra, which they named "Tally Ho." Situated in the Arroyo Grande basin, to the southeast of San Luis Obispo, California, they began planting trees and vines. Specializing in thoroughbred racehorses, the Vachells are credited with introducing polo to the West Coast.

On May 20, 1887, Horace and Arthur, along with their San Luis Polo Club, competed against the San Francisco Polo Club in Arroyo Grande, California, drawing a crowd of 500 spectators.

During their time in San Luis Obispo, Arthur, Guy, and Horace were involved in acting in the play Jane at the Pavilion Theater. The San Luis Obispo Tribune said, "It was a very enjoyable play, well stages and well played."

In 1899, Horace Vachell returned to England after spending 17 years in California. Many of his books draw upon his experience as a rancher in the region. In 1913, Horace dedicated the book Bunch Grass, which chronicles his life in California, to his brother Arthur.

Artistic career


By 1905, Vachell gave up ranching and came to the art colony at Carmel-by-the-Sea. As a watercolorist, he was good friends with artists Sydney J. Yard, Mary DeNeale Morgan, and Ferdinand Burgdorff. He built an art studio home at 13th Avenue between Monte Verde and Lincoln Streets, near the Carmel River. He painted landscapes, garden scenes, and seascapes of the Carmel Beach. Vachell frequently accompanied Sydney Yard on sketching excursions.

Vachell’s had friendships within the Bohemian literary community. Society columns chronicled his travels and the company he kept. Willard Huntington Wright from the Los Angeles Times categorized Vachell within Carmel's conservative social circle, dubbed "the Eminently Respectables," alongside with figures like the MacGowan sisters and Arnold Genthe. Vachell was among the painters who often socialized with the literary community.

In 1906, Vachell became a charter member of the Carmel Arts and Crafts Club. Between 1905 and 1924, his artwork was held at the exhibitions of the Arts and Crafts Club, making appearances in eight of their annual exhibitions. During the Seventh Annual exhibition in 1913, he presented a piece titled Marshlands. At the Tenth Annual event, he showcased four oil paintings: Hazy Afternoon, Fog Breaking, The Wet Sand, and Drifting Fog. Blanche Marie d’Harcourt, an art critic from The Wasp of San Francisco, provided her evaluation of the latter two pieces, saying, "To achieve so much in one tone is a rare accomplishment."

Vachell was one of the founding members of the Forest Theater Society. He contributed to set design and painted scenery for the Forest Theater from 1911 to 1923. Vachell was placed on the board of directors of the Forest Theater in 1916 and held the title of "resident artist" by 1918. He was also a avid gardener.

For the Forest Theatre Society, Vachell took on roles such as Moroc, "Captain of the Ethiopians," in Bertha Newberry's Egyptian play The Toad in 1912, and Tweedle-dee in Alice in Wonderland. He also performed on the stage of the Greek Theater at the University of California, Berkeley campus in a production of The Toad. In 1914, he took on roles including an old soldier in The Sons of Spain, Papa in Slovenly Peter, and a comedic character in Montezuma.''

Vachell's artistic endeavors primarily focused on seascapes, particularly those in subdued lighting. In the spring of 1910, he presented four pieces at the San Francisco Art Association, including works such as Carmel Sands, A Moonlit Sea, Carmel Hills, and Early Morning. That same year, his painting Wet Sands was featured at the Hotel Del Monte Art Gallery in Monterey. He contributed multiple canvases to the Rabjohn & Morcom Gallery in San Francisco. Receiving acclaim for his work, a critic from The San Francisco Call, Margaret Doyle, lauded one of his Carmel marine paintings exhibited at the Rabjohn & Morcom Gallery, describing it as "full of a wonderfully soft, delicately radiant light and atmosphere." In 1914, The New York Times recognized him as one of the noteworthy Carmel artists specializing in oil painting.

In 1916, Vachell collaborated with DeNeale Morgan and fellow local artists for a charitable exhibition supporting the Watsonville Woman's Club at the Hotel Appleton. Moving forward, in June 1917, he contributed his artwork to another fundraiser held at William P. Silva's Carmelita Art Gallery, benefiting the Carmel chapter of the American Red Cross. Later that autumn, he demonstrated his support for America's involvement in World War I by donating a painting for Oakland's Red Cross Benefit "Auction Comique." Both Vachell and Silva served on the committee to encourage the sale of "Victory Liberty Loans."

From July 4-5th 1916, the Arts and Crafts Club presented the play The Piper, by Josephine Preston Peabody at the Forest Theater. Four Carmel artists, Vachell, Morgan, William F. Ritschel, and Laura W. Maxwell acted and painted the scenery for the club's production. Vachell was responsible for carving the woodblocks utilized for printing theatre posters. He made a woodblock poster for The Piper.

In October 1918, Vachell assumed a role on a committee tasked with assessing the threat of Spanish flu in Carmel. Since 1916, he had been welcoming friends and visitors into his studio, and by 1919, he formally advertised the public hours of his studio on 13th Avenue in the Carmel Pine Cone, opening it from 2:00 to 5:00 pm on Saturdays. In August 1919, one of his marine paintings, capturing the Carmel Bay, was exhibited at Rabjohn's.

In May of 1920, just before a journey to England, he finalized the sale of his Carmel residence, studio, and other properties to Helen Bragg from Chicago. Upon his return to the Peninsula in June 1922, he embarked on constructing a new home in Carmel, spanning eight adjacent lots at Monte Verde and 13th Avenue. During this time he he shared his residence with his nephew, Arthur A. Vachell. Additionally, he erected another residence at Casanova and Fourteenth Avenue. Upon his return, the Carmel Pine Cone hailed him "as "a painter of distinct talent, known for his garden scenes, depictions of white clouds, and representations of wet sands. His work exudes an elusive quality and delicacy that are widely admired." In 1923, he contributed to the construction and painting sets for the Forest Theatre production of Kismet. In September, he donated his artwork to aid the relief efforts for Great Kantō Japanese earthquake victims.

In 1923, during the Seventeenth Annual exhibition of the Arts and Crafts Club, he exhibited two pieces: Afterglow and Low Tide. The Carmel Pine Cone described both as "fine canvases—cool and meticulous—depicting wet sands and sea gulls in a pleasing and slightly Japanese style, with an accuracy of color." Years later, the Carmel press reported that he wasn't accustomed to roaming the countryside in search of good compositions, but rather preferred to positioned his easel in any suitable location, typically opting for the water's edge to find inspiration for his compositions. During this period, he showcased an unconventional marine painting at Rabjohn's, characterized by bright colors. Anna Cora Winchell, the art critic of the San Francisco Chronicle, provided her description of the piece and said, "The sea shows an expansiveness and the oncoming waves, filled with dignity, seem impregnable as they approach. Painted in high key, the picture is attractive in type and treatment."

In 1927, Horace and Arthur relocated to England and bought the large 18th century, English country estate, Widcombe Manor House, in Widcombe, Bath, England.

Death
Vachell died on June 1, 1933, in Exmouth, England, at the age of 69. His memorial inscription at St Thomas à Becket Church, Widcombe says: "Arthur Honywood Vachell, of Widcombe Manor. Born Nov. 8, 1864 Died Jun 1, 1933, Let Him Come Into His Garden."