Henry Gillard Glindoni

Who was Henry Gillard Glindoni?

Henry Gillard Glindoni was an English painter noted for his depiction of period costumery in historical and genre scenes. He was one of a family of five orphans, his original surname being 'Glindon' and later changed.

Glindoni was obliged to take care of himself from the age of 14, which he did by taking various acting and painting jobs. He was drawn into the world of theatre and became a scenery painter, further augmenting his finances by sketching the actors with whom he came in contact. He also tried his hand at porcelain painting. Encouraged to study art, he attended Maurice's Working Men's College and the Castle Street School of Art.

Glindoni's speciality was that of 17th and 18th century costume and he was noted for his paintings of Cardinals. He settled in Chadwell Heath some time after 1891, living in a new cottage which still exists at the corner of Mill Lane and Whalebone Lane North.

Glindoni frequently exhibited between 1872 to 1904, at the Royal Academy, Royal Institute of Oil Painters, Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers, Old Water Colour Society, the Society of British Artists in London, and the Royal Society of Artists in Birmingham.