Dicksee pertenecía a una ilustre familia de artistas. Su padre era el artista John Dicksee (1817-1905). El hermano de John, Thomas (1819-1895), también pintor, fue el padre de Sir Frank Dicksee (1853-1928), presidente de la Real Academia desde 1924 hasta su muerte. (Herbert, por su parte, tuvo una hermana, cuyo nombre era Amy). Dicksee estudió arte en la Slade School, Londres, con una beca. Su primera pintura fue exhibida en 1881.
Dicksee se especializó en pinturas de perros de caza, tales como "After Chevy Chase " y "Silent Simpathy", pero también pintó grandes felinos en el zoológico de Londres , del cual él era un gran aficionado. Sus pinturas se generalmente mostraban la vida cotidiana; tenia numerosos perros como animales de compañía. Dichos animales aparecen en sus grabados e incluyen un bloodhound, un bulldog francés llamado "Shaver", y algunos carlinos y bull terriers .
Muchas de las obras de Dicksee, especialmente aquellas pintadas durante los años de la guerra de 1914-1918, representan perros que acompañan a jóvenes melancólicas. Su modelo más frecuente fue la actriz Gladys Cooper .
El artista se casó con Ella Crump en 1896, y tuvieron dos hijos, Maurice (que murió en la Primera Guerra Mundial ) y Dorothy (quien también estudió arte). Herbert Dicksee murió en 1942 en Hampstead . Su hija Dorothy fue la ejecutora de su testamento, que la pedía destruir la mayoría de las placas de los grabados de Dicksee.
Silent Sympathy
After Chevy Chase
Herbert Thomas Dicksee
Herbert Thomas Dicksee (14 June 1862 – 20 February 1942) was an English painter who specialised in oil paintings of dogs, particularly the deerhound. Prints and etchings of his best-known paintings were widely distributed by publishers such as Klackner of London, and his work is popular among collectors and dog enthusiasts today.
Dicksee belonged to an illustrious artistic family. His father was the artist John Dicksee (1817–1905). John's brother Thomas (1819–1895), also a painter, was the father of Sir Frank Dicksee (1853–1928), president of the Royal Academy from 1924 until his death. (Herbert, meanwhile, had one sister, whose name was Amy.) Dicksee studied art at the Slade School, London, on a scholarship. His first painting was exhibited in 1881.
Dicksee specialised in sympathetic paintings of hounds, such as "After Chevy Chase" and "Silent Sympathy", but he also painted big cats at the London Zoo, of which he was a Fellow. His paintings were usually done from life; he kept numerous dogs as pets. Those pets featured in his etchings included a bloodhound, a French bulldog named "Shaver", and several pugs and bull terriers.
Many of Dicksee's works, especially those painted during the war years of 1914–1918, depict the dogs accompanying melancholy young ladies. His most frequent model was the actress Gladys Cooper.
The artist married Ella Crump in 1896, and they had two children, Maurice (who was killed in World War I) and Dorothy (who also studied art). Herbert Dicksee died in 1942 in Hampstead. His daughter Dorothy was the executor of his will, which directed her to destroy most of the plates for Dicksee's etchings.