William Acton (painter)
William Hamilton Mitchell Acton(16 August 1906 – 31 August 1945) was an Anglo-Italian painter.
Biography[edit]
William Hamilton Mitchell Acton was born on 16 August 1906, the son ofArthur Acton(1873–1953), anart collectoranddealer,and Hortense Lenore Mitchell (1871–1962), the heiress of John J. Mitchell, President of the Illinois Trust and Savings Bank.Harold Actonwas his older brother.
He attendedChateau de Lancy,Geneva, andEton College;[1]at Eton his contemporaries wereRobert Byron,Brian Howard,[2]Alfred DugganandAnthony Powell,who remembers William fondly in his memoirs.[3]
In 1922, a reproduction of his paintingNature Morteappeared in theEton Candle.At Eton he was among the founders of theEton Society of Artsin February 1922 with Brian Howard,Henry Yorke,his brother Harold, Robert Byron,Alan Clutton-Brock,Hugh Lygon,Anthony PowellandColin Anderson.[4]
In 1925, Acton moved toChrist Church, Oxford,with many of his friends, but remained for only one year.[1]Brian Howardwrote a satirical profile of William Acton in hisContinuation of Oxford Portraits of 1925-6which appeared in theCherwell.Other profiles were:David Herbert,Mark Ogilvie-Grant,René Crevel,Henry Thynne, 6th Marquess of BathandCharles Plumb.In the previous issue the profiles had beenRobert Byron,Harold Acton,John Sutro,Bryan Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne,Edward Henry Charles James Fox-Strangways, 7th Earl of Ilchester.[2]At Oxford William Acton's friends wereHugh Lygon,Robert Byron,Brian Howard,Michael Parsons,David Plunket Greene,Roy Harrod,Evelyn WaughandJohn Sutro.[5]
After college the Acton brothers were part of a circle includingDiana Mitfordand her first husband,Bryan Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne,John Betjeman,Roy Harrod,Henry Yorkeand his wife,Robert Byron,Evelyn Waugh,Randolph ChurchillandDiana Churchill.[6]William Acton sketched the Mitford sisters.[7]
Not long after being demobilised from service in thePioneer CorpsduringWorld War II,William Acton died on 31 August 1945 aged 39 after a short illness and is buried with his family atCimitero degli Allori.[1]
Several works by William Acton have been sold at auctions, including "Armiola" sold atChristie'sin 2016 for £16,250 (£22,366 in 2023 sterling).[8]
Gallery[edit]
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Bachoo Dinshaw,granddaughter ofSeth Edulji Dinshaw -
Markie Dinshaw,granddaughter ofSeth Edulji Dinshaw -
Georgia Doble, wife ofSacheverell Sitwell -
Armiola -
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References[edit]
- ^abc"Private William Hamilton Mitchell Acton".Christ Church.Retrieved21 January2018.
- ^abLancaster, Marie-Jaqueline (2005).Brian Howard: Portrait of a Failure.Timewell Press. p. 122.ISBN9781857252118.Retrieved21 January2018.
- ^Powell, Anthony (2001).To Keep the Ball Rolling: The Memoirs of Anthony Powell.University of Chicago Press. p. 50.ISBN9780226677217.Retrieved21 January2018.
- ^Clark, Adrian (2010).British and Irish Art, 1945-1951: From War to Festival.Hogarth Arts. p. 70.ISBN9780955406348.Retrieved21 January2018.
- ^Fielding, Daphne(1954).Mercury Presides.Eyre & Spottiswoode. p. 105.Retrieved21 January2018.
- ^Wilson, A.N. (2011).Betjeman.Random House. p. 77.ISBN9781446493052.Retrieved21 January2018.
- ^Thompson, Laura (2015).Take Six Girls: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters.Head of Zeus. p. 72.ISBN9781784970888.Retrieved21 January2018.
- ^"William Acton (1906-1945) Armiola".Christie's.Retrieved21 January2018.