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Captain GILBERT HOLIDAY, Royal Field Artillery (1879-1937)

Captain Gilbert Holiday, Royal Field Artillery (1879-1937)

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Charles Gilbert Holiday was born in London on the 29th January 1879, the son of Sir Frederick Holiday (Indian Civil Service). He was also the nephew of Henry Holiday, a well-known stained glass designer. Holiday’s Christian name was rarely used and he became known to all as Gilbert or “GH” for short. When he was a boy, Gilbert lived in St. John’s Wood and it was here, when watching the Royal Horse Artillery from his bedroom window, that he first realized his fascination and love of horses.

GH’s talent for painting was first noticed by his housemaster at Westminster. After leaving school, he studied art at The Royal Academy. GH had his first work accepted for The Royal Academy in 1904, at the age of twenty five. After studying at the Royal Academy, Gilbert went on to work as an illustrator at The Graphic, The Tatler and The Illustrated London News.

GH married Mina Spencer from Guernsey on the 7th April 1908 in Guernsey. He was later to pay many visits to Guernsey and his works, showing racing scenes, are some of his best loved and admired paintings. GH continued to paint in many mediums and was highly thought of by his contemporaries, particularly C.J. Payne (Snaffles) and Lionel Edwards. Lionel Edwards said of him “no one can, or ever could, paint a horse in action better than Gilbert could.”

When war was declared in August 1914, GH worked as a war artist for The Graphic and although too old to officially join up, he managed a commission into The Royal Field Artillery, 8th Corps. in 1915, as a Forward Observation Officer. His artistic talents were recognised by Lieutenant General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston who appointed him “Reconnaissance Officer.” GH was allowed to draw across the 8th Corps area and prepared a great many artillery panoramas. The Imperial War Museum purchased eighteen of these in March 1918 as they were held to be “of considerable importance as documents.” These are now unobtainable, presumed lost. GH played an active part in drawing up plans of enemy positions, often venturing into No Man’s Land with his sketch book, at great risk. Some of GH’s most haunting work was later produced from his experiences at the Third Battle of Ypres. He left the Army in 1919.

After the war had ended, GH’s love of horses continued to influence his life. His work still appeared regularly in The Tatler and The Illustrated London News. He became a well-respected equine artist, as well as a keen horseman, painting almost every known equestrian sport as well as working horses and he became world famous for his paintings of The Grand National and other race meetings. His work was also popular for Regimental commissions and period histories – for example “1st Royal Scots Fusiliers at Jemappes Bridge, Mons Canal, 23 August 1914”, reproduced in “The Mons Star” by David Ascoli (Page 68), and “A Gallop Past of the Royal Horse Artillery” in “The Wonder Book for Boys and Girls” (1915).

It was GH’s love of hunting that led to a tragic accident in 1932. Whilst out with The Woolwich Drag, he had a bad fall from his horse which crushed his spinal cord. He never walked again and, despite being paralysed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair, he continued to paint with an amazingly cheerful disposition. His courage and determination were admired by everyone who knew him.

GH died on the 8th January 1937 at the age of 57 and his obituary appeared in The Times on the 9th January. During his lifetime, he produced a stunning array of works, which are now highly sought after. It has been said that GH ranks alongside Lionel Edwards and Alfred Munnings as one of the greatest equestrian artists of the 20th Century. Many of his pictures remained in private collections after his death and the contents of his studio were sold nearly forty years later. Some of his works were kept and highly prized in Regimental Messes, Military Institutions and Museums. GH’s work was undoubtedly of the highest quality and his ability to work with oils, watercolours, crayon, chalk, body colour and other mediums showed great versatility.

 

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