George Denholm Armour
George Denholm Armour - A Famous Scottish Painter and Cartoonist
George Denholm Armour (1864 - 1949) George Denholm Armour, the son of a cotton broker, was born, on January 30th 1864, in Waterside, Lanarkshire. His early education was at Glasgow Academy and Madras College, followed by study at the University of St Andrews, the Edinburgh School of Art and at the Royal Scottish Academy. While at the RSA Armour met Robert Alexander and together, in 1885, they went to Tangiers to paint until they ran out of cash. It was in Tangiers that they met Joseph Crawhall, the English artist associated with The Glasgow Boys. On return to England Armour and Crawhall ran a stud at Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire. Armour continued to be influenced by the work of his friend Joseph Crawhall. Crawhall had moved from painting in oils to using watercolours and Armour produced a small number of watercolour paintings of merit but is mainly known for his cartoon work.
George Denholm Armour moved to London and shared a studio with the English caricaturist Phil May. In 1890, Armour was illustrated in "The Graphic" and from 1894 he began to concentrate on his cartoon work contributing to Punch. Phil May became a member of staff at Punch in 1896 but died in 1903, Armour continued to contribute to Punch for a total of 35 years.
Armour continued to work in watercolours which was heavily influenced by his love of hunting and horses. His work titled "Fred Goss and Ernest Bawden with the Tufters Above Porlock" and "In Full Cry" display Armour's understanding of the two with the wonderful depictions of horse and hound in action. He contributed to several sporting publications including Sporting & Dramatic News, Country Life and Tatler.
During the First World War Armour had commanded a cavalry squadron, he rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel with the British Salonika Force and, for his command of the army's remount depot in Salonik, he was awarded an OBE in 1919.
George Denholm Armour died in 1949.
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