Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

A couple of weeks ago I found myself in Toledo, Ohio. Now this is far from the most inspiring small city in the world, but it has one redeeming feature - a quite wonderful art museum; probably better than anything you'd find in this country outside London to be honest, and a great surprise in an otherwise dull town (no offence intended!).

Imagine my surprise, though, when I walked round one corner and was confronted by the picture below. It's by the 19th Century French artist James Tissot (whom I confess to knowing very little about), and is entitled "London Visitors", being set on the steps of the National Gallery, with two CH pupils acting as guides (one waiting for someone else to talk to, presumably). Naturally, after a few moments of shock, I found the nearest museum guide to tell him all about the school, and that the uniform is virtually unchanged to this day!



Two questions for people:

(1) Does anyone know anything about this painting, and whether there was a reason he chose to include the CH pupils or whether it was just coincidence that they happened to be there?

(2) Has anyone experienced other surprise pictures of CH on their travels?

The painting has been mentioned in The Blue from time to time. Apparently there was a detailed account of it in the September 1963 edition (don't have a copy, unfortunately).

At the Barbican in 1987 a not-quite-exact replica (painted by Tissot himself, and loaned by the Layton Collection of Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was displayed as part of an "Images of London" exhibition. It was reproduced in The Blue at that time but only in black and white and very small. Few details were given and the artist's name was misspelt "Pissot", leading to some ribaldry.

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=753&hilit=National+gallery

I knew there was something about this from way back.

Thanks to both of you - that's fascinating. I did a quick search for Tissot on this site before posting, in case it had been covered previously, but for some reason did not find that thread... some interesting views displayed on it!

I also had a look through my back issues of The Blue and found the later one Rex refers to - it's in the summer 1987 issue.

Incidentally, I also took a photo of the text accompanying the painting in Toledo. Quite different from the commentary displayed on the thread englishangel mentions!

A watercolour has appeared for sale in an art shop in Dorking.

It's an original, measuring approx A.4 in size and framed.

It is of the cloister arch with the avenue passing beneath, on the Chapel/Coleridge side of the quad.

I think the price is around £150, The artists name escapes me at the moment.

If I had a spare £150, I might have bought it.

The Tissot painting was used on a C.H. Christmas card a few years back

And for only $189 you can have your very own painting... http://www.oceansbridge.com/oil-paintin ... onvisitors

Not sure how good it would be!

The original is lovely tho....

jfdawson wrote:
Imagine my surprise, though, when I walked round one corner and was confronted by the picture below. It's by the 19th Century French artist James Tissot (whom I confess to knowing very little about), and is entitled "London Visitors", being set on the steps of the National Gallery, with two CH pupils acting as guides (one waiting for someone else to talk to, presumably). Naturally, after a few moments of shock, I found the nearest museum guide to tell him all about the school, and that the uniform is virtually unchanged to this day!

This painting is a double whammy for me, as I attended St Martin-in-the Fields High School after leaving CH. The school is at Tulse Hill, but we spent many happy hours at the church.

Caroline