Sir John Lavery stands as one of the most internationally celebrated painters associated with the Glasgow Boys, and later, a key figure in British and Irish art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Renowned for his society portraiture, elegant genre scenes, and evocative landscapes, Lavery’s career was one of remarkable range and sustained success. He was also among the few Glasgow Boys to gain major recognition during his lifetime both in the UK and abroad, carving a path from realist beginnings to high society portraiture, all while maintaining a deep connection to Ireland, his country of birth.
Born in Belfast in 1856, Lavery was orphaned at an early age and sent to live with relatives in Scotland. His artistic training began in Glasgow, followed by studies at the Académie Julian in Paris. It was in France that Lavery absorbed the principles of the Realist and Naturalist movements, particularly the work of Bastien-Lepage, and adopted plein air techniques that would align him with the ethos of the Glasgow Boys. Although somewhat more cosmopolitan and commercially attuned than many of his peers, Lavery exhibited alongside the group in the 1880s and early 1890s, and remained closely associated with their challenge to the academic establishment.
Lavery's early Scottish works often feature quiet, observational scenes rendered with clarity and restraint, such as The Tennis Party (1885), which combines naturalistic detail with a growing interest in modern leisure and composition. His technical versatility and social ease eventually drew him towards portraiture, a genre in which he would come to excel. By the turn of the century, Lavery had established himself as one of the most sought-after portraitists in Europe, depicting figures such as Winston Churchill, King George V, and Pope Pius XI. His appointment as the official artist to the British government during the First World War further solidified his status.
Despite his fame as a London society painter, Lavery remained connected to Ireland throughout his life. He was an advocate for Irish Home Rule and produced numerous paintings of Irish landscapes and political figures. His portrait of his wife, Hazel Lavery, whose likeness was famously used to represent Ireland on banknotes from 1928 to 1977, has become one of the most iconic images in Irish visual culture.
Lavery was knighted in 1918 and made a member of the Royal Academy and Royal Scottish Academy. His work is held in numerous public collections, including the Tate, the National Gallery of Ireland, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Ulster Museum.
