Femininity

All his life, John Henry was inspired and supported by the women around him: his mother, his sisters, his nieces and the nanny that raised them, as well as the housemaids that looked after the family homes in Edinburgh and Fife. He was brought up by a father who wrote about the importance of educating women and granting them the vote, and a mother who ensured that both she and her daughters were educated to university level.

Many of his paintings seemed to have been inspired by his sister Alice and her six children. Between 1878 and 1894, she spent most of her time in Guyana, where her husband Sir David Chalmers was Chief Justice. During those sixteen years, she returned to Kellie three times, each time bringing with her a new child.

The joy that her young children brought to everyone at Kellie can be seen within John Henry’s paintings. Yet so can the sorrow of each farewell, firstly for the young bride Alice and later for James, the eldest Lorimer son. In 1883, he left to seek his fortune in Melbourne, never to return. James seemed to be especially missed by Louise, the youngest Lorimer daughter, who lived in Scotland all her life and penned articles on its history.

Neither Louise nor John Henry ever married, although John Henry may have been plagued by unrequited love. The names Harriet, Jennie and Isobel have all been mentioned within the family as women John Henry may have loved and had to let go.

The audioguide for Reflections: The light and life of John Henry Lorimer is presented and produced by the exhibition co-curator, Charlotte Lorimer. It includes the panels of text displayed in the exhibition, as well as dramatised readings of family letters and memoirs, performed by Clive Russell, George Lorimer, Ed Wade, Natasha Jobst and Sarah Haynes. The audioguide also includes twelve original poems by Christine de Luca. The exhibition runs from 6th November 2021 to 20th March 2022 at The City Art Centre in Edinburgh.