David Gee (artist)

David Gee (Coventry, 1793 – 1872) was an English oil painter who took his inspiration from the local area.

David Gee
Self portrait (c. 1868)
Born1793
Coventry, England
Died1872

Gee mostly painted battle scenes, landscapes as well as pictures inspired by local legends such as Lady Godiva.[1] He was active as a painter between the years of 1815 and 1868. He died in 1871 or 1872.[2]

In 1831, Gee began restoration work on the Holy Trinity Doom, an early 15th-century painting of the Last Judgment.[3][4] He received five guineas for his work.[4] There is little contemporary information about Gee's work on the Doom, but conservation work begun in 1995[5] suggests he added outlines to the figures and repainted or recoloured some areas. There is no evidence that Gee significantly changed the painting's composition or symbolism.[4] Gee also applied a coating of megilp to the painting.[4] This bituminous varnish soon degraded and by 1873 the Doom was 'almost invisible'.[6]

According to a letter dated 2 February 2015 (in response to Freedom of Information Act 2000 request ref no 20123607, link to download below), the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry have 15 of David Gee's pictures in their collection their value ranging from £2,000 for portraits to £30,000 for his famous “Lammas Day” Coventry landscape.

One of his portraits, of Frederick George Smyth, painted in 1858, hangs in the King Henry VIII School Archive.

References
  1. Kemp, David (1992). Pleasures and Treasures of Britain: A Discerning Traveller's Companion. Dundurn Group Ltd. p. 236. ISBN 978-1-55002-159-2.
  2. Mallalieu, H.L (1976). The Dictionary of British Watercolour Artists up to 1920. Baron Publishing. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-902028-48-7.
  3. "Holy Trinity Church, The painting of the Last Judgement". Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  4. Gill, Miriam (2011). Monckton, Linda; Richard K. Morris (eds.). Coventry Medieval Art, Architecture and Archaeology in the City and its Vicinity. Maney Publishing (for The British Archaeological Association). pp. 206–222. ISBN 978-1-906540-62-3.
  5. "Granville & Burbidge, The Holy Trinity Doom". Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  6. "Holy Trinity Church Coventry, The Medieval Painting". Retrieved 4 April 2012.
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