James Henry Nixon
James Henry Nixon (1802–1857) was an illustrator and painter during the Victorian period, who worked in the firm Ward and Nixon painting stained glass windows. James Henry Nixon was a protégé of Charles Winston, who praised Nixon's work at Westminster Abbey and Church of Christ the King, Bloomsbury.[1][2][3] The company Ward and Nixon was followed by Ward and Hughes.[4]
![](../I/Lincoln_Cathedral_East_window.jpg.webp)
Career
The company began in 1836 as Ward and Nixon, when James Henry Nixon (brother of sculptor Samuel Nixon) joined forces with Thomas Ward.[5] Nixon was a student of John Martin (painter).[6] From 1826 to 1829, Nixon painted the famous medieval stained glass in the Parish Church of St Neot, Cornwall.[7][8][9] After that, Nixon exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1830 to 1847.[6] He exhibited "Solomon's sacrifice" to outstanding reviews (1832) and the following year he exhibited "The resting of the Arc in the River Jordan".[10][11][12][13] He made a window at New Lady chapel, St. Savior, Southwark in 1832.[14] Nixon also illustrated the work of Sir Walter Scott (1835).[15][16][17][6] They created two windows for St. Edmunds, Lumbard St., London.[18] They also installed a window in the east end of St Martin’s, Owston Ferry, Lincolnshire (1836).[19] He also illustrated the Eglinton Tournament of 1839.
Ward and Nixon's studio was at 67 Frith Street, Soho.[20][8] They created large window for St Stephen Coleman Street, London.[20] They were commissioned to do the south transept of Westminster Abbey (1844–1848, removed 1902).[21][22][23][24] Charles Winston wrote,
- "... the superiority of this work over its contemporaries, both here and abroad, that, had Mr. Nixon done nothing else, it would have been sufficient to entitle him to the respect of those who desire to see the true revival of a neglected and underrated branch of art."[22]
In 1848, Thomas Ward died at age 71 and his part of the business was taken over by his nephew of the same name.[20]
Perhaps the most prestigious stained glass commission of the 19th century, the re-glazing of the East Window of Lincoln Cathedral, went to Ward and Nixon in 1855. The largest 13th century window in the world, the simple harmony of the tracery in Geometric Decorated Gothic is the ultimate splendour in what has been acclaimed as "the finest cathedral in England". (John Ruskin and others). Ward and Nixon used a conservative design, its overall appearance being in keeping with the date of the stonework and drawing for effect on the visual texture of the variations within its formal arrangement and the glorious luminescence of its colour.
In the 1857 Nixon died and his pupil, Henry Hughes, became the partner of Thomas Ward, and the business was renamed Ward and Hughes.[25]
Gallery
- Hall of Branksome, The lay of the last minstrel by Sir Walter Scott, illustration by James Henry Nixon (1835)
- The lay of the last minstrel by Sir Walter Scott, illustration by James Henry Nixon (1835)
- The Lay of the Last Minstrel - by Sir Walter Scott, Illustrated by James Henry Nixon (1835)
- Queen Victoria's Procession to Goldsmiths' Hall by James H. Nixon (1838)[26]
- Eglinton Tournament of 1839 by James Henry Nixon in 1839
- Westminster Abbey, London - the south transept rose window by Ward and Nixon (1844–1848)
Works by Nixon
- St Mary Denton, Norfolk[27]
- North-East Lincolnshire, Owston Ferry, Isle of Axholme (1836)[28]
- two east stained glass windows for St Mary's Church, Eastwell, Kent that represent the events in the history of Christ and Mary (1846).[29]
- Resurrection windows at Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Redenhall (1846).[30][31]
- window for St James' Church, Stert, Wiltshire (1846).[32]
- windows for the church at Homerton,, London (1846).[33]
- window for Church of St John-at-Hackney (1847).[34]
- St. Mary, Thorpe, Surrey (1847).[35]
- St Illogan, Illogan, Cornwall (1847).[36]
- two eastern windows for the parish church of St. George, Guiana (1848).[37]
- Chichester Cathedral (1848).[38]
- St Paul's Church, Shadwell (1848).[39]
- Church of St John-at-Hackney (1848).[40]
- windows to Norwich Cathedral (1851).[41]
- St. Paul's, Shadwell (1851).[42]
- All Saints Cathedral, Kingston (1852).[43]
- Glass for St Giles' Catholic Church, Cheadle (1853).[44]
- Benefield (1853).[45]
- Windows at St Nicholas Church, Brighton (1854).[46]
- two memorial windows for Armagh Cathedral (1855).[47]
- St. Andrews Church, Tur Langton, Leicestershire (1855).[33]
- east window of Lincoln Cathedral (1855).
References
- "Victorian Wolverhampton". Historywebsite.co.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "Memoirs illustrative of the art of glass-painting : Winston, Charles, 1814–1864 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming". Internet Archive. 1865. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- Cheshire, Jim (19 August 2004). Stained Glass and the Victorian Gothic Revival. Manchester University Press. ISBN 9780719063466. Retrieved 19 August 2020 – via Google Books.
- Jim Cheshire. Stained Glass and the Victorian Gothic Revival. Manchester University Press.
- Stained Glass and the Victorian Gothic Revival. Jim Cheshire. Manchester University Press, 2004. p.47 ISBN 9780719063466
- "Term details". British Museum. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- associate-edda-manriquez@archive.org. "Descriptive sketch of the windows of the St. Neot Church in Cornwall, as restored by the Rev. Richard Gerveys Grylls ... in the years 1826, 1827, 1828, and 1829; to which is added the poem of Tregeagle .. : Grylls, Henry : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive". Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "Ward and Hughes". Victorianweb.org. 29 April 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "The Ecclesiologist. N.S. v.9 (1851). - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library | HathiTrust Digital Library". Babel.hathitrust.org. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- associate-ted-hornick@archive.org (1860). "Recollections of the British Institution for Promoting the Fine Arts in the United Kingdom : with some account of the means employed for that purpose ; and biographical notices of the artists who have received premiums, &c. 1805–1859 : Smith, Thomas, of Mary-le-bone : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive". Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- Griffiths, Ralph; Griffiths, George Edward (19 August 1831). "The Monthly Review". R. Griffiths. Retrieved 19 August 2020 – via Google Books.
- "The London Literary Gazette and Journal of Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences, Etc". H. Colburn. 19 August 1831. Retrieved 19 August 2020 – via Google Books.
- "Library of the Fine Arts: Or, Repertory of Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, and Engraving". M. Arnold. 19 August 1831. Retrieved 19 August 2020 – via Google Books.
- "Heraldry of Fish: Notices of the Principal Families Bearing Fish in Their Arms : Thomas Moule : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming". Internet Archive. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "The lay of the last minstrel / by Sir Walter Scott, Bart. - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library | HathiTrust Digital Library". Babel.hathitrust.org. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- Catherine Gordon. The Illustration of Sir Walter Scott: Nineteenth-Century Enthusiasm and Adaptation. Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes. Vol. 34 (1971), pp. 297–317
- "The Edinburgh Review: Or Critical Journal". Archibald Constable and Company. 19 August 1835. Retrieved 19 August 2020 – via Google Books.
- "The churches of London: a history and description of the ..., Volume 2 : George Godwin, John Britton : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming". Internet Archive. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "News". Vidimus. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "Two centuries of Soho, its institutions, firms, and amusements; : Cardwell, John Henry, 1842– : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming". Internet Archive. 1898. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "A Historical Description of Westminster Abbey". Print. for the Vergers in the Abbey. 19 August 1853. Retrieved 19 August 2020 – via Google Books.
- "Memoirs illustrative of the art of glass-painting : Winston, Charles, 1814–1864 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming". Internet Archive. 1865. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "The Ecclesiologist. n. s. , v. 1-3 (Nov. 1841-Sept. 1844)". HathiTrust. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "The Ecclesiologist. n.s. , v. 8 (Aug. 1847-June 1848). - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library | HathiTrust Digital Library". Babel.hathitrust.org. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "Ward & Hughes. (about 1836 - 1920s) : Stained Glass in Wales". stainedglass.llgc.org.uk. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- [file:///Users/todscott/Downloads/Victorians_Decoded__P32Plrd.pdf p.65]
- "Norfolkstainedglass.co.uk".
- "Owston Ferry, St Martin, I, Ward & Nixon, 1836". 1 August 2007. Retrieved 19 August 2020 – via Flickr.
- "The Ecclesiologist. N.S. v.2 (1846). - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library | HathiTrust Digital Library". Babel.hathitrust.org. 26 February 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "East window of St Mary Denton Norfolk". Norfolkstainedglass.co.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- By: Simon K (2 August 2018). "Resurrection (Ward & Nixon, 1860s) | St Mary, Redenhall, Nor…". Flickr. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- Limited, Alamy. "Stock Photo - Saint James Major stained glass window 1846 by Ward and Nixon, church of Saint James Stert, Wiltshire, England, UK". Alamy. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "The Builder - Google Books". 1847. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "The Ecclesiologist. N.S. v.6 (1848-49). - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library | HathiTrust Digital Library". Babel.hathitrust.org. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "The Ecclesiologist. N.S. v.6 (1848-49). - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library | HathiTrust Digital Library". Babel.hathitrust.org. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "The Ecclesiologist. N.S. v.6 (1848-49). - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library | HathiTrust Digital Library". Babel.hathitrust.org. 22 October 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "The Ecclesiologist. n.s. , v. 8 (Aug. 1847-June 1848). - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library | HathiTrust Digital Library". Babel.hathitrust.org. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "The Ecclesiologist. n.s. , v. 8 (Aug. 1847-June 1848). - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library | HathiTrust Digital Library". Babel.hathitrust.org. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "The Ecclesiologist. n.s. , v. 8 (Aug. 1847-June 1848). - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library | HathiTrust Digital Library". Babel.hathitrust.org. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "The Ecclesiologist. n.s. , v. 8 (Aug. 1847-June 1848). - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library | HathiTrust Digital Library". Babel.hathitrust.org. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "The Ecclesiologist. N.S. v.9 (1851). - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library | HathiTrust Digital Library". Babel.hathitrust.org. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
- "The Ecclesiologist. n.s. , v. 10 (Aug. 1849-Apr. 1850)". HathiTrust. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "Stained Glass". All Saints Church, Kingston. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "The Ecclesiologist. n.s. v.10 1852". HathiTrust. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "The Ecclesiologist. n.s. v.10 1852". HathiTrust. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "The Ecclesiologist. n.s. v.12 1854". HathiTrust. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "The Ecclesiologist. n.s. v.13 1855". HathiTrust. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
External links
Media related to James Henry Nixon at Wikimedia Commons
- British Museum - James Henry Nixon
- The Tempest - James Henry Nixon
- Marmion - Walter Scott