Sir Wilfrid de Glehn was a British Impressionist painter celebrated for his luminous landscapes, sunlit garden scenes, and elegant society portraits. A close associate of the American-born artist John Singer Sargent, de Glehn became one of the most accomplished painters working in the Impressionist tradition in Britain during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Born in Sydenham, London, to a family of continental European heritage, de Glehn studied at the Royal College of Art before continuing his training at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His early career included work as a decorative painter, most notably assisting Sir Edward Poynter with murals for St Stephen’s Hall in the Palace of Westminster.
A pivotal moment in de Glehn’s career came through his friendship with John Singer Sargent. The two artists travelled extensively together across Europe, painting in Italy, Spain, France, and the Mediterranean. These journeys inspired many of de Glehn’s finest works, characterised by vibrant colour, fluid brushwork, and a masterful treatment of natural light. Alongside his wife, the accomplished painter Jane Emmet de Glehn, he formed part of an influential international artistic circle that included members of the renowned Emmet family and leading figures of the Edwardian art world.
De Glehn exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy and other major institutions, earning a reputation for paintings that combined academic skill with the freshness and spontaneity of Impressionism. His subjects ranged from gardens and riverside scenes to portraits and interiors, all executed with a distinctive sense of atmosphere and elegance.
