Victor Noble Rainbird

Who was Victor Noble Rainbird?

Victor Noble Rainbird was a painter, stained glass artist and illustrator.

Victor Noble Rainbird was born on 12 December 1887 in North Shields United Kingdom, son of James William Rainbird and Rosabella Foubister. Victor had an elder brother William Stewart Rainbird, born in early 1886 in North Shields.

Victor attended King's College, Newcastle upon Tyne, where he distinguished himself and won several prizes. His pictures were included in a government exhibition which toured Australia, New Zealand and Canada. He later attended the Royal Academy Schools where he twice won Silver Medals as well as the Landseer Scholarship.

On the 15th July 1916, Rainbird married Elizabeth Kirkley at York Registry Office, whilst he was a Lance Corporal in the 6th Northumberland Fusiliers. After the war he left as Corporal in the Durham Light Infantry and practised as a professional artist in North Shields and exhibited works at the Artists of the Northern Counties exhibitions at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne, at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and also at the Royal Academy. He made several trips to France, Belgium and the Netherlands, and a large proportion of his work is of continental subjects. Common works that Rainbird executed many times are of Dutch fisherfolk, the sea and seafront at and around North Shields, and impressions of Rouen and Amiens. Rarer subjects include stained glass window images, portraits and still life.