Oil Paintings by John Rodgers
The full name of John Rodgers is John Rodgers Herbert. He was born on the 23 of January 1810. He was an English artist. He was born at Maldon in Essex. He passed away on the 17 of March 1890. He had three sons all three of them artists. They were Arthur John (1834 - 56), Cyril Wiseman (1847 - 82) and Wilfred Vincent (1863 - 91).
In the early stages, Herbert began his career as a portrait painter and a book illustrator. He romanticized subjects from the Italian history. In the mid 1830's he came in to contact with the Nazarenes and slowly adopted a harder, drier style under their influence. Under the guide of A. W. N. Pugin he converted to Catholicism. After this he became purely religious.
His paintings also showed religious tendencies. In the year 1881 Herbert opened a gallery "The Herbert Gallery" in New Bond Street to show off his works. Other than this, Herbert exhibited over a hundred paintings between 1830 and 1889. But after this exhibition he earned much criticism due to his religious tendencies. He was made Master of the Government Schools of Design and was commissioned to paint frescoes for the new houses of Parliament.
Some of the famous paintings of John Rogers Herbert were Outside Jerusalem painted in the year 1878. This was a canvas oil painting made on a board 29 1/8 x 50 inches (74 x 127 cm). This painting was exhibited at Stratford-on-Avon, The Ruskin Gallery; London, The Fine Art Society, Eastern Encounters, 1978.
Another famous painting created by John Rogers was our savior subject to his parents at Nazareth. This was created in the year 1847. This was also oil on canvas 32 inches by 51 inches. The Royal Academy exhibition quotes the following epigraph from the catalogue:
"Perhaps the cross, which chance would oft design
Upon the floor of Joseph's homely shed,
Across Thy brow serene and heart divine
A passing cloud of Golgotha would spread. "
The review stated that the painting showed three figures one that of Joseph, the other of the Virgin and the last figure of our Savior in his youth. The painting was criticized as saying that the words in the catalogue were of no value and a matter of little consequence only. Further the work was told as it was a deduction from early Italian Art which has been modified by more advanced experiences. The words said in the review were "It is a work of much merit; but most defective where we should most look for excellence; the character of the Savior -- in youth -- has been utterly mistaken; there is in it nothing of that high feeling and perfect grace -- grace of heart as well as mind -- inseparable from our ideas of the character: the expression is, indeed, rather repulsive than inviting ; it gives us no glimpse of the mighty hereafter of the Divinity who had taken our nature upon him. "
Such were the critics about his paintings. Other paintings by him were Study of an Arab, in the year 1854, the other being Valley of Moses in the desert of Sinai.