The Artist and his Wife
Artist
John Phillip
(Aberdeen, Scotland, 1817 - 1867)
Mediumoil on canvas
ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings
DimensionsOverall (Height x Width): 763 × 632mm
Frame Size (Height x Width x Depth): 945 × 830 × 92mm
Frame Size (Height x Width x Depth): 945 × 830 × 92mm
AcquisitionPresented in 1887 by Francis Edmond.
CopyrightOut of copyright - CC0
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDAG004119
About MeOn 24th September 1844 John Phillip married the beautiful Maria Elizabeth Dadd. She was the younger sister of his friend and fellow artist, Richard Dadd. Tragically, like her brother, Maria suffered from schizophrenia. The previous August Richard Dadd had murdered their father. He was committed to the insane asylum and remained incarcerated for the rest of his life.
The Phillips had two children, Amy, born in 1849 and Colin, born in 1855. Just a few months after Colin's birth, their apparently idyllic family life in Kensington was brought shatteringly to an end when Maria, annoyed by the crying of her baby, attempted to strangle him.
With no effective treatment available Phillip was forced to hospitalise Maria who, from 1863, was a permanent resident at Elmhill Asylum in Aberdeen. This would account for the awkward composition of this painting - Phillip's head has a ghostly effect. It has been added to an existing, probably much earlier, portrait of Maria and fits uneasily with her profile.
More About Me
A dark and distressing image. Phillip had lost his wife, Maria, to mental illness by the time this was painted, and his sense of mourning is obvious.
John Phillip
John Phillip
