This page is a work in progress, and will be updated with additional information about Charles Sims.

Relationship to john william waterhouse:

Fellow artist. Attended Waterhouse's funeral in 1917.

Brief Biography:

SIMS, Charles, R.A., R.W.S. (1873-1928)

Painter in oil, tempera and watercolour of figure subjects, genre and landscape. Born on 28th January 1873 at Islington, London. Studied art at the R.C.A. 1890, in Paris at the Académie Julian under Lefebvre and Constant 1891, and at the R.A. Schools 1892-95 where he received the Landseer Scholarship. Exhibited at the R.A. from 1894. First one-man show held in 1906 at the Leicester Galleries. Won a gold medal at the Amsterdam International Exhibition 1912 and a further gold medal the same year at the Pittsburgh International Exhibition. Elected A.R.A. 1908, A.R.W.S. 1911, R.W.S. 1914 and R.A. 1916. Official war artist 1918. Keeper of the R.A. 1920-26. Represented in many public collections at home and abroad. Died by his own hand on 13th April 1928 at St. Boswell's, Scotland.

Source: Dictionary of British Artists Working 1900-1950, Grant M. Waters, Eastbourne, 1975.

The name of Charles Sims has always been linked with those of Charles Shannon and Charles Ricketts, with whom he lived for many years. Although Sims became an R.A. and is given respectful attention in some reference books, he has become an under-rated artist, whose studies of young children playing in a world of Arcadian innocence are now unfashionable. He worked in oils, tempera and watercolours.

Charles Sims was born in Islington, London, and was sent to work in Paris at the age of 14. After three unhappy years there he returned to England and went to the South Kensington Schools to study art. He continued his studies at the Académie Julian in Paris and completed his training at the R.A. Schools, where he received the Landseer Scholarship.

From 1889 to 1897 he worked with Shannon and Ricketts on the influential magazine the Dial. For some years afterwards he was occupied with painting pagan themes, but suddenly he produced six canvases that recall the work of William Blake and his visionary outlook on the world. His work was unconventional for the R.A. at that time, which was still only concerned with maintaining the old traditions. Despite this, he was made an R.A. in 1916, an official war artist in 1918, and finally keeper of the R.A. from 1920 to 1926. Despite his success as an artist he must nevertheless have been an unhappy man, for he commited suicide on 13 April 1928 in St Boswell, Scotland.

Source: A Companion to Victorian and Edwardian Artists by Adrian Vincent, David & Charles, 1991.

R.A.: Royal Academy

R.W.S.: Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours

R.C.A.: Royal College of Art

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