William kay blacklock biography for kids

William Kay Blacklock was an accomplished British painter of landscapes and genre scenes.

Born in Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland, Blacklock’s early years appear to be rather turbulent.

His father, John Blacklock, an engine fitter, lost his life early, leaving his mother to raise the family alone. In 1891, the census records him living in Carlisle where his mother worked as a publican. One can’t imagine the stresses placed upon a Victorian family in this situation.

To help with the finances, the budding artist gained an apprenticeship working for a lithographer and before long enrolled at the Royal College of Art in London.

At just 25, he debuted at the Royal Academy with ‘The Home of the Fisherman, Whitby’.

A keen draughtsman, he excelled at figure work with a particular skill for light effects and drapery. In a piece titled ‘Playing with Mother’, a red-cheeked toddler sits by grasses on a beach, while her doting mum prods a yellow spade in t