Engraver graduated to slice of life art
George Goodwin Kilburne (1839- 1924) At the Piano Watercolour on white wove paper Presented to the South Canterbury Arts Society in 1912
George Goodwin Kilburne was a popular and well-known London genre painter of his time.
He depicted many interior ‘‘slice of life’’ scenes of the upper classes in opulent settings, like women and girls at the piano as seen in this art work here.
He specialised in accurately drawn interiors with figures and favoured the watercolour medium but he did work in oils, pencil and was a professionally trained engraver.
Born in Norfolk in 1839 he was the eldest son of three children of Rebecca Button and Goodwin Kilburne, a school master, scientist and amateur artist.
Kilburne married Jenny Dalziel in 1862 and they had five children together.
Sadly his wife passed away in 1882 and Kilburne remarried Edith Golightly in 1889 and had two daughters with her. a five-year apprenticeship as an engraver for the Dalziel Brothers and was highly regarded by them as exceptionally skilled with great attention to detail.
This early training as an engraver helped him develop the fine accuracy and detail he is renowned for, like his attention to detail in the ladies’ dresses and the interior setting – you can see how ornate the piano is with the decorative carvings, along with the fine blue design on the ceramic vase which hold the flowers on top of the piano.
This painting was originally gifted to the South Canterbury Art Society back in 1912 during the height and popularity of Kilburne’s time as an artist – while he was living.
This also shows and signifies his importance at the time and how highly regarded he was.
At the Piano is on display at the Aigantighe Art Gallery and we strongly invite you to come inspect it for yourself and see the decadent highly detailed watercolour painting with your own eyes.