BASKETT, Charles Henry

1872 - 1953

Charles Henry Baskett was born at Colchester, Essex on 25 March 1872, son of artist Charles Edward Baskett and his wife Annie née Sparke, who married at St Nicholas Church, Colchester on 26 February 1871. Charles was educated at Colchester Royal Grammar School and first studied art under his father at the Albert School of Art at Colchester and at Lambeth School of Art before completing his studies under Frank Mura (1861-1925). An assistant master at the Albert School of Science & Art, Charles married at St Mary at the Wall, Colchester on 8 August 1894, Florence Maude Peachey and in 1901, a 29-year-old artist, living at The White House, Maldon Road, Colchester with his 33-year-old wife and three of his four children, Christobel, Douglas, and Beryl. By 1911, an 'art master and artist' living at Almount, Baddow Road, Chelmsford with his 40-year-old wife and two sons and two daughters and in 1927 was Principal of Chelmsford School of Science and Art. From the beginning of his career, Baskett gained much higher recognition for his aquatint engravings and, although he continued to create fine etchings during his life, he will be remembered mostly for his creative work in the demanding aquatint medium with his famous landscapes, marine scenes, and river views. An 'English Landscape View' is one of the artist's largest and most atmospheric works of original aquatinting. All of Charles Henry Baskett's original etchings and aquatints were published in London by Lefevre Gallery, always in an edition of 75. A member of the Ipswich Art Club 1897-1928 and exhibited from 'Almount', Baddow Road, Chelmsford in 1923, a pencil 'Landermere Creek' and three aquatints 'Crenyll Point, Plymouth', 'Heybridge Marshes' and 'Venice'. He exhibited widely including, as a full member, at the Royal Society of Etchers and Engravers and at the Royal Academy he exhibited twenty-four works between 1910 and 1930 also showing at the Walker Art Gallery; Fine Art Society; Cooling Galleries and the Royal Scottish Academy, signing his work 'CHB'. Some of his work was reproduced in 'Print Collectors Quarterly'. Lott & Gerrish Ltd., Marlborough held an exhibition 'The Aquatints of C H Baskett' in 1985. Charles Henry Baskett finally moved to The White Cottage, Holly Hill Lane, Sarisbury Green, Southampton and died in The Borough Hospital Southampton on 10 October 1953, aged 80. His and his father's work are sometimes conflated.

Royal Academy Exhibits
from Baddow Road, Chelmsford
1910 1373 Walton Mill - etching
1912 1416 The Silver Moon - aquatint
         1422 Portsmouth Dockyard - aquatint
         1490 Polperro Harbour - etching
1913 1455 Walberswick - aquatint
1915 303 Limehouse - etching
1916 218 Bosham - etching
         270 Sussex Marshland - etching
         297 Baddow Meads - etching
1917 1186 Limehouse Reach - etching
         1224 A Corner of St Ives - etching
1918 1214 Meadowland - etching
         1235 The Bosham Sand Barge - etching
         1271 Sunrise at Whitstable - etching
1919 1200 Evening - etching
         1273 The Derelict Mill - etching
1922 1022 Cremyll Point - aquatint
1923 1117 The Tow Path, Heybridge - aquatint
1924 1031 Matching, Essex - aquatint
1925 935 Thames Toil - aquatint
1927 1176 'Windy Lea' - aquatint
from Chelmerton Avenue, Great Baddow, Chelmsford
1928 1195 Lowlands - aquatint
1929 1088 A Dorset Coast - aquatint
1930 1085 The Home Park, Hampton Court - aquatint

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Works by This Artist