Richard Henry Albert Willis ARCA, RHA
Born 1853
Died 1905
Active: 1882 - 1905
Country of birth and death: Ireland
Sculptor, teacher, art school headmaster
Born in Ireland. Richard was the son of Joseph Willis (d. 17 May 1876) and Jane Willis (d. 17 Feb 1875). He is buried, with other members of his family, in the cemetery at Rathcormac, Co. Cork, Ireland. The inscription on his headstone reads:
SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF
RICHARD HENRY ALBERT WILLIS
ARTIST
SON OF JOSEPH WILLIS
HE IS NOW AT REST AFTER A LIFE OF ACTIVITY. HE DID A GREAT WORK FOR HIS
GENERATION AND THE INFLUENCE OF IT WILL SURELY GROW LIKE A VIGOROUS TREE FOR
HE WAS A GREAT AND A GOOD MAN.
These words are followed by an inscription in Irish acknowledging his contribution to art and the Irish language. A work entitled 'O Love, Has She Done This To Thee?' was gifted by his family and students to Manchester Art Gallery (accession. no. 1907.20).
This record includes information submitted by Mary Hoskins who transcribed the details of Willis's headstone for the project and has also submitted a photograph.
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.
Locations
Address School of Art Cavendish Street Manchester | View on map
1889 (Circa) - 1891 (Circa)
Address 33 Albert Road Withington Manchester | View on map
1891 (Circa)
Boarding at this address with John Somerscales.
Address Scarsdale Studios Stratford Road London W8 | View on map
1894 (Circa)
In studio 4
Address New Street Killarney | View on map
1899 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition, 1905
''O Love, has she done this to thee!''
Exhibited at Corporation of Manchester Art Gallery, Twenty-Fifth Autumn Exhibition, 1907
'Oh Love! Has She Done This To Thee?'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1882 - 1899
Exhibited 6 times, one or two works per year.
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-fourth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1894
1894
The Fisherman's Dwelling (cat. no. 1326, not for sale).
Institutional and Business Connections
Invited to join Royal Society of British Sculptors
3 April 1905
Was added to list of those 'to be recommended to the General Meeting for election without the formality of proposal', following recommendation by Sheppard [Royal Society of British Sculptors: Minutes of Council Meetings, No.I].
Principal of Manchester School of Art
Head Master of Manchester School of Art 1883-1892 according to Catalogue for 1907 Autumn Exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery, p. 50
Principal of Metropolitan School of Art, Dublin
1 July 1904 - 1 August 1905
Headmaster of the school, July 1st, 1904- August 1905.
as listed in Turpin, A School of Art in Dublin, Appendix 1: Headmasters and Directors'.
Personal and Professional Connections
Nominated by Oliver Sheppard
3 April 1905
For membership of the Royal Society of British Sculptors [Royal Society of British Sculptors: Minutes of Council Meetings, No.I].
Shared rooms with John Somerscales
1891 (Circa)
Both boarding at the same address in Withington, Manchester
Descriptions of Practice
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
'Artist sculp.' neither employer nor employed also at this address, John Somerscales 'Artist & Teacher' worker
Sources
A School of Art in Dublin since the Eighteenth Century - A History of the National College of Art and Design.
1995
Headmaster of the school, July 1st, 1904- August 1905.
as listed in Turpin, A School of Art in Dublin, Appendix 1: Headmasters and Directors'.
Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-fourth, 1894 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1894
pp. 49-52.
Catalogue of the Twenty-Fifth Autumn Exhibition, 1907
1907
Cat. No. 279, p. 50
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
2004
RG12 piece 3163 folio 58 page 2
Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts, Catalogue of the Seventy-Sixth Annual Exhibition, 1905 RHA Annual Exhibition Catalogues
1905
p. 32 (427)
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Minutes of Council Meetings No. 1, 1905-1913
19 May 1913
3 April 1905.
Citing this record
'Richard Henry Albert Willis ARCA, RHA', 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=msib3_1216318836, accessed 04 Jun 2023]
