Arthur George Walker RA
Born 20 October 1861
Died 13 September 1939
Active: 1883 - 1936
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor, illustrator, ivory carver, mosaicist
Born in Hackney, London. He was the son of Robert Walker (born c.1826 in London), a ship surveyor and, according to Walker's baptismal record, also a ship owner. Kineton Parkes describes Walker as devoted to his art and with no outside interests. Walker remained unmarried (up to 1911) and lived in Fulham with his brother Harold, sister Emily and Aunt Isabella (all unmarried).
George's works included a number of mosaics, including works in the Greek Church, Moscow Road, Bayswater and the Chapel of Whitelands College in Chelsea. Walker also completed many sculptural commissions for churches including: the 'Ark of the Covenant' in bronze for Stamford Hill Church; decorations for the Lady Chapel at Brentwood; figures of 'Humanity' and a 'Madonna' for the Church of Humanity, Liverpool; a relief of Florence Nightingale in alabaster for the Crypt of St. Paul's Cathedral and a great bronze 'Christ' in the garden of Old Church, Commercial Road, Limehouse, London. He made memorials for Lady Lothian and Blickling Hall, Norfolk; Lady Tollemache at Helmingham; and Orlando Gibbons in Southwark Cathedral. Walker's statues include Lady Mount Temple, Torquay; Florence Nightingale, Waterloo Place, London; Dante, Aristotle and St. Augustine at Hawarden. Walker also frequently worked in ivory, wood and precious metals creating busts, drinking cups, and statuettes. He died at Parkstone in Dorset.
Wealth at death: £9,853 2s. 6d.
Resworn £10,111 13s. 7d.
Probate date: 1 November 1939
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited. Click here for more information.
Cymon Finding Iphiginia Sleeping
St John the Baptist
1939
bequeathed by the artist
And They Were Afraid
1901
Mare and Foal
1901
Maternity
1901
A Sea Maiden
1901
Paradise Lost
1908
Sleep
1920 (Circa)
A Gordon Highlander
1926
Locations
Address 5 Grafton Street Fitzroy Square London England | View on map
1885
Previous addresses include: 6, St. Mark's Square, Hackney, 1884 (Graves, 1906 p. 102-3)
Address 41 Grafton Street London England | View on map
1886 (Circa) - 1888 (Circa)
Address 29 Fulham Park Gardens Fulham London England | View on map
1901 (Circa) - 1911 (Circa)
Walker was unmarried, he lived here with his brother, sister and aunt and a servant
Address Cedar Studios Blake Hill Crescent Parkstone England | View on map
1939
Living at this address at the time of his death
Studio located at 1 Cedar Studios Glebe Place London SW3 England | View on map
1890 (Circa) - 1904 (Circa)
Studio located at 5 Cedar Studios Glebe Place London SW England | View on map
1905 (Circa) - 1928 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Exhibition of International Art (International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, London), 1898
'Circe'
Exhibited at Third Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1901
'The Champion'
Exhibited at Exhibition of Fair Women (International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers, London), 1910
'Mother and Child'
Exhibited at Tenth Annual Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1910
'Motherhood'
Exhibited at Twelfth Annual Exhibition of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers (London), 1912
'The Snake Charmer'
Exhibited at Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society: Eleventh Exhibition, 1916
Multiple works
Exhibited at Leeds City Art Gallery, The Spring Exhibition, 1900
'A Sea Maiden'
Exhibited at Leeds City Art Gallery, The Spring Exhibition, 1903
'Maternity'
Exhibited at Leeds City Art Gallery, The Spring Exhibition, 1909
Multiple works
Exhibited at Aberdeen Artists' Society Exhibition of Works of Modern Artists, 1926
'A Gordon Highlander'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1884 - 1937
Exhibited 48 times between these dates.
Exhibited at Cardiff Fine Art, Industrial and Maritime Exhibition, 1896
1896
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-seventh (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1897
1897
Death of the First-born (cat. no. 1313, bronze panel, not for sale).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-ninth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1899
1899
A Sea Maiden (cat. no. 1369, marble and bronze statuette, not for sale); T. Stirling Lee, Esq. (cat. no. 1421, plaster bust, not for sale).
Exhibited at International Exhibition, Glasgow, 1901
1901
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of pictures & sculpture: the thirty-second (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1902
1902
Paolo and Francesco (cat. no. 1439, marble relief, not for sale).
Exhibited at Special Loan Exhibition of Paintings of the British School 1878-1903, and Sculpture (Nottingham Castle Museum), 1903
September 1903
Walker exhibited three sculptures (all of the works were undated).
Exhibited at The Royal Scottish Academy Exhibition, 1826-
1905 - 1928
Exhibited at the annual exhibition 4 times: 1905 (1 work), 1920 (3 works), 1927 (2 works) and 1928 (2 works)
Exhibited at International Exhibition, Dublin, 1907
1907
British Sculpture, Gallery II:
'Sleep' (life size group in marble), p. 27 (217). Lent by the sculptor.
Exhibited at Franco-British Exhibition of Science, Art and Industries (London), 1908
1908
Selection committee member of Exhibition of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, 1909
4 August 1909
Part of Royal Society of British Sculptors' Selection committee.
Speaker at English Mural Monuments (Art Workers Guild), 1900
Speaker at Low-relief in Sculpture (Art Workers Guild), 1902
Speaker at Working in Marble direct (Art Workers Guild), 1907
Won prize Landseer Scholarships (Royal Academy of Arts), 1884-1950
1886
Institutional and Business Connections
Donor to Art Workers Guild
1900 (Circa)
Gave a bust he had made of T. Stirling Lee
Elected ARA Royal Academy of Arts
23 April 1925 - 11 February 1936
Elected RA in 1936.
Elected RA Royal Academy of Arts
11 February 1936 - 1 January 1937
Was then Senior RA until his death in 1939. Walker's Diploma work was a marble sculpture entitled 'Grief'. See Royal Academy, 'Annual Report, 1936', (1937), p. 88.
Fellow of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1923 - 1936
Tendered his resignation owing to ill health, and was elected an Honorary Member.
Honorary member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1936 - 1939
Died in 1939.
Member of Art Workers Guild
1892 - 1916
Committee member 1903-1905, resigned 1916.
Member of Royal Society of British Sculptors
1904 - 1939
Amongst those 'Invited to join without the formality of proposal and seconding' [January 10 1905, Royal Society of British Sculptors, Minutes of Council Meetings, Vol.I].
Studied at Royal Academy Schools
13 March 1883 - 1887 (Presumed)
Start date is given in Popp and Valentine, 'Royal Academy of Arts Directory of Membership', (1996), p. 123. Walker was awarded a second prize silver medal for a model of a figure from the life in 1884. See 'Annual Report, 1884', (1885), p. 43. In 1885, he was awarded a first prize of £50 for a set of two models of a figure from the life, and a second prize of £10 for a model of a design. See 'Annual Report, 1885', (1886), p. 34. Walker was awarded a second prize silver medal for a model of a figure from the life, in 1886. He was also awarded a Landseer Scholarship for Sculpture, in the same year. See 'Annual Report, 1886', (1887), pp. 33-34.
Visitor at Royal Academy Schools
October 1928 - June 1929
Listed as a visitor to the School of Sculpture. See Royal Academy, 'Annual Report, 1929', (1930), p. 37.
Personal and Professional Connections
Nominated by Thomas Brock
19 November 1907
For RA.
Nominated by (Edward) Alfred Briscoe Drury
19 November 1907
For RA.
Nominated by George James Frampton
19 November 1907
For RA.
Nominated by Thomas Graham Jackson
19 November 1907
For RA.
Nominated by William Goscombe John
19 November 1907
For RA.
Nominated by Frederick William Pomeroy
19 November 1907
For RA.
Nominated by Reginald Theodore Blomfield
10 March 1920
For RA.
Nominated by Francis Bernard Dicksee
27 February 1920
For RA.
Nominated by William Llewellyn
February 1920
For RA.
Nominated by Frank Short
10 March 1920
For RA.
Nominated by Henry Scott Tuke
10 March 1920
For RA.
Nominator of William Kellock Brown
2 November 1908
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors [2 November 1908, Royal Society of British Sculptors: Minutes of Council Meetings, no.1].
Seconder of Frederick Brook Hitch
13 May 1907
For membership of Royal Society of British Sculptors.
Seconder of Samuel William Ward Willis
4 January 1909
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors [4 January 1909, Royal Society of British Sculptors: Minutes of Council Meetings, no.1].
Seconder of Thomas Stirling Lee
20 November 1911
To represent the Royal Society of British Sculptors on the Council for formulating the Travelling Studentship of Rome, following the death of Lawesp-Wittewronge [20 November 1911, Royal Society of British Sculptors: Minutes of Council Meetings, no.1].
Descriptions of Practice
Listed under Sculptors The London Directory, 1930 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
p. 1354
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
'Sculptor & Illustrator'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
'Sculptor' working on own account
Sources
Aberdeen Artists' Society. Nineteenth Exhibition of Works of Modern Masters, 1926
November 1926
p. 81
Art Workers Guild Annual Reports, 1885-1900
1895, p.26; 1900, pp.6-7 and all lists of members' addresses 1896-1900.
Art Workers Guild Annual Reports, 1901-1912
1902, p.7; 1907, p.5.
Art Workers Guild Annual Reports, 1913-1933
1914, p.38.
Arts and Crafts Society: Catalogue of the Eleventh Exhibition.
1916
p.264, p.269.
Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-ninth, 1899 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1899
pp. 48-52.
Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-seventh, 1897 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1897
pp. 44-47.
Autumn exhibition of pictures & sculpture: the thirty-second, 1902 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1902
pp. 42-47.
Cardiff Fine Art, Industrial and Maritime Exhibition
1896
Catalogue of the Fine Art Section,
Franco-British Exhibition,
London, 1908
1908
Catalogue of the Special Loan Exhibition of Paintings of the British School, 1873-1903, and Sculpture, 1903
1903
p. 84 and p. 87.
Catalogue of the Spring Exhibition, The City Art Gallery, Leeds 1900
1900
Cat. No. 444, pp. 43, 87
Catalogue of the Spring Exhibition, The City Art Gallery, Leeds 1903
1903
Cat No. 360, pp. 39, 85
Catalogue of the Spring Exhibition, The City Art Gallery, Leeds 1909
1909
Cat. Nos. 530, 534, 539, 659, pp. 47, 57, 89
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901
2005
RG13 piece 66 folio 59 page 5
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
2011
RG14PN344 RG78PN11 RD3 SD5 ED7 SN148
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
2010
Name: Arthur George Walker
Probate Date: 1 Nov 1939
Death Date: 13 Sep 1939
Death Place: Dorset, England
Registry: Blandford
International Exhibition Glasgow, 1901,
Official Catalogue of the Fine Art Section
1901
International Exhibition, Dublin 1907, Fine Art Catalogue
1907
British Sculpture, Gallery II:
p. 27, no. 217:'Sleep'.
Life size Group in Marble.
Lent by the Sculptor.
List of Members: Royal Society of British Sculptors
2008
London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906
2010
London Metropolitan Archives, Saint John At Hackney, Hackney, Register of baptisms, P79/JN1, Item 037 (accessed 31 March 2010)
Royal Academy of Arts Nominations for Associateship, 1906-1927
1927
p.10.
Royal Academy of Arts Nominations for Associateship, 1906-1927
1927
p.123.
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Minutes of Council Meetings No. 1, 1905-1913
19 May 1913
10 January 1905; 13 May 1907; 2 November 1908; 4 January 1909; 4 August 1909; 20 November 1911.
Sculpture of To-day: America, Great Britain and Japan, vol. 1
1921
pp. 113-6
Tate online: Art and Artists (previously General Collection)
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/arthur-g-walker-2114 (accessed 12 January 2013) includes information from Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture, London 1964, vol II
The London Directory, 1930 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1930
p. 1354
The Scottish Modern Arts Association; Thirtieth Annual Report for year 1936
1936
p. 14 (88)
Citing this record
'Arthur George Walker RA', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib2_1203446958, accessed 29 Sep 2023]
