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Lot Essay
Born in London, the son of an engraver, Hacker entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1876, and made his debut at the Summer Exhibition two years later. In the 1880s he continued his studies under Léon Bonnart in Paris and, like Stanhope Forbes, his fellow pupil both in London and Paris (where they shared accommodation), he was influenced by French plein air realism. In 1881 he attracted attention at the R.A. with a scene of peasant life, Her Daughter's Legacy, and in 1886, again with Forbes and Philip Wilson Steer, he helped to establish the New English Art Club as a venue for artists who were open to French influence and who wanted an alternative both to the R.A. and the Aesthetically-orientated Grosvenor Gallery.
After studying in Paris he travelled through Spain and north Africa with his friend Solomon J. Solomon, the first of a number of expeditions he made to Africa. Towards the end of the 1880s the influence of the light and colour of North Africa began to show in his works, and in 1887 Hacker exhibited Pelagia and Philammon (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), the first of a series of works which exhibited his developments with tones, colour and draughtsmanship. Never one to ‘give way to that habit of repetition which is so often the consequence of success’ (A.L Baldry, Studio, LVI, 1912, p. 175), Hacker continued to develop his style and compositions through other influences and themes. A time-honoured religious theme was tackled in The Annunciation (Tate), purchased for the Chantrey Bequest in 1892, while The Temptation of Sir Percival (Leeds City Art Gallery), exhibited in 1894, the year he was elected A.R.A., ventures into territory which the Pre-Raphaelites had colonised as far back as the 1850s.
As the taste for literary and historical subjects declined in the 1890s, artists who had made their reputation in this field had to diversify. Hacker was no exception; indeed, his natural versatility made him more equal to the challenge than many. According to an article in the Art Journal, he was 'possessed with a similar spirit to that of Mr. Dicksee in endeavouring to avoid the danger of painting in a single groove (1897, p. 170). Like J. W. Waterhouse, Frank Dicksee and others, he developed a flourishing portrait practice. Politicians, army officers, high-ranking clergy, aldermen, headmasters, physicians and society women were among his many sitters.
However, Hacker's other success was to return to earlier ideas which had retained the interest of the public. He began to experiment with misty, atmospheric renderings of the London streets, clearly influenced by the work of the French Impressionists, with Wet Night, Piccadilly Circus being submitted as his diploma work when he was promoted to the rank of Royal Academician in 1910. He also renewed his interest scenes of pastoral life, using his developments in colour, tone and composition to realise ‘with unusual sensitiveness certain poetic aspects of rustic life’ (Baldry, op. cit., p. 178). In Punting on the Thames Hacker has illustrated a tranquil and leisurely scene, as the two girls relax as they travel along the river. The smooth, mirror-like surface of the water is contrasted with the bold, colourful brushstrokes in the foliage behind them, creating a harmonious sense of texture and dynamism within the canvas.
After studying in Paris he travelled through Spain and north Africa with his friend Solomon J. Solomon, the first of a number of expeditions he made to Africa. Towards the end of the 1880s the influence of the light and colour of North Africa began to show in his works, and in 1887 Hacker exhibited Pelagia and Philammon (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), the first of a series of works which exhibited his developments with tones, colour and draughtsmanship. Never one to ‘give way to that habit of repetition which is so often the consequence of success’ (A.L Baldry, Studio, LVI, 1912, p. 175), Hacker continued to develop his style and compositions through other influences and themes. A time-honoured religious theme was tackled in The Annunciation (Tate), purchased for the Chantrey Bequest in 1892, while The Temptation of Sir Percival (Leeds City Art Gallery), exhibited in 1894, the year he was elected A.R.A., ventures into territory which the Pre-Raphaelites had colonised as far back as the 1850s.
As the taste for literary and historical subjects declined in the 1890s, artists who had made their reputation in this field had to diversify. Hacker was no exception; indeed, his natural versatility made him more equal to the challenge than many. According to an article in the Art Journal, he was 'possessed with a similar spirit to that of Mr. Dicksee in endeavouring to avoid the danger of painting in a single groove (1897, p. 170). Like J. W. Waterhouse, Frank Dicksee and others, he developed a flourishing portrait practice. Politicians, army officers, high-ranking clergy, aldermen, headmasters, physicians and society women were among his many sitters.
However, Hacker's other success was to return to earlier ideas which had retained the interest of the public. He began to experiment with misty, atmospheric renderings of the London streets, clearly influenced by the work of the French Impressionists, with Wet Night, Piccadilly Circus being submitted as his diploma work when he was promoted to the rank of Royal Academician in 1910. He also renewed his interest scenes of pastoral life, using his developments in colour, tone and composition to realise ‘with unusual sensitiveness certain poetic aspects of rustic life’ (Baldry, op. cit., p. 178). In Punting on the Thames Hacker has illustrated a tranquil and leisurely scene, as the two girls relax as they travel along the river. The smooth, mirror-like surface of the water is contrasted with the bold, colourful brushstrokes in the foliage behind them, creating a harmonious sense of texture and dynamism within the canvas.