George Holmes, Landscape Draughtsman
(fl. 1789-1804)
Landscape Draughtsman
From A Dictionary of Irish Artists 1913
As a pupil in the Dublin Society's School he won a medal for landscape drawing in 1789, and afterwards found employment in making drawings of views for book illustrations. In the "Sentimental and Masonic Magazine" are "View of a Cottage in the Demesne of Avondale," 1794; "Whitehall, near Rathfarnham," and "Roebuck Castle," 1795, engraved from his drawings; and the "Copper Plate Magazine" contains the following plates from his pencil: In Vol. IV, "Kilkenny," "New Ross," "Dunloe Castle," "Askeaton " and "Bullock," all engraved by J. Walker in 1799; "Cashel Cathedral" and "St. John's Priory, Kilkenny," also by Walker in 1800; and "Chief Point, Waterford," by J. Storer in 1799; and in Vol. V, "The College, Kilkenny," by J. Greig, 1801, and "Innisfallen," by J. Storer, 1800. In Ledwich's "Antiquities of Ireland" is a view of the "Castle of Dunamase," engraved by James Ford; and in Brewer's "Beauties of Ireland," 1825-6, are "St. John's Abbey, Kilkenny," "Blarney Castle" and "Swords Castle," engraved by J. and H. S. Storer.
In 1801 was published in London "Sketches of some of the Southern Counties of Ireland collected during a Tour in the autumn, 1797, in a series of Letters," by George Holmes. This book, a small octavo, contains six views in aquatint by Alken from drawings by Holmes, viz.: "The Rock of Cashel," "Cormac's Chapel," "Interior of the Abbey of Holycross," "Ross Castle," "Muckross Lake," "Castle of Lismore," and an etching of "Ancient Monument at Cashel," G. Holmes Sculpt. An engraving by J. Walker, "Lighthouse at the entrance of Dublin Harbour," was published in London in 1801. Holmes appears to have left Ireland about 1799. He exhibited in the Royal Academy between 1799 and 1802, his contributions including "A Distant View of the Lower Lake of Killarney," in 1800, and "Entrance to the Village of Swords, with part of the Castle," in 1802. In the British Museum are five drawings by him, including "Dublin Lighthouse," in Indian ink, and two "Views near Ringsend" in water-colour, both signed, the latter dated 1804. There is also an etching by him of a "Cottage." A George Holmes, whether the same or not is doubtful, exhibited a drawing in the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1841 and four English landscapes in 1843, his address being then given as Plymouth. In the "Gentleman's Magazine," 1834 (Part I, p. 265), is a view by G. Holmes of "Sand, in the parish of Sidbury, Devon," engraved by G. Hollis.