1. Luke Fildes was the grandson of the political activist Mary Fildes.
19 Facts About Luke Fildes
2.
At the age of 17, Fildes became a student at the Warrington School of Art.
3.
Luke Fildes moved to the South Kensington Art School where he met Hubert von Herkomer and Frank Holl.
4.
Luke Fildes shared his grandmother's concern for the poor and in 1869 joined the staff of The Graphic newspaper, an illustrated weekly began and edited by the social reformer, William Luson Thomas.
5.
Luke Fildes shared Thomas' belief in the power of visual images to change public opinion on subjects such as poverty and injustice.
6.
Luke Fildes' illustrations were in the black-and-white style popular in France and Germany during the era.
7.
Luke Fildes worked in a social realist style, compatible with the editorial direction of The Graphic, and focused on images depicting the destitute of London.
8.
The picture produced by Luke Fildes showed a line of homeless people applying for tickets to stay overnight in the workhouse.
9.
Luke Fildes' illustrations appeared in other mass-circulation periodicals: Sunday Magazine, The Cornhill Magazine, and The Gentleman's Magazine.
10.
Luke Fildes illustrated a number of books in addition to Dickens' Edwin Drood, such as Thackeray's Catherine.
11.
Luke Fildes soon became a popular artist and by 1870 he had given up working for The Graphic and had turned his full attention to oil painting.
12.
Luke Fildes took rank among the ablest English painters, with The Casual Ward, The Widower, The Village Wedding, An Al-fresco Toilette ; and The Doctor, now in Tate Britain.
13.
Luke Fildes painted a number of pictures of Venetian life and many notable portraits, among them portraits commemorating the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.
14.
In 1918, he was appointed as Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order by King George V Fildes produced a large number of caricatures for Vanity Fair under the nom de crayon "ELF".
15.
In 1874 Luke Fildes married Fanny Woods, who was an artist and the sister of Henry Woods.
16.
Luke Val Fildes was Olympic fencer, solicitor and company secretary.
17.
Luke Fildes's later son, Sir Paul Fildes, was an eminent scientist.
18.
Luke Fildes died in 1927 and is buried in Brookwood Cemetery.
19.
Luke Fildes's home was later owned by film director Michael Winner.