Raymond James Coxon

ARTIST

1896 – 1997

Self Portrait 1921 Ruth Borchard Collection

painter of landscapes, portraits and abstracts

Portraits

His portraits bore the signature bold strokes and heaviness that are seen in many of his paintings

Add Your Heading Text Here

Landscapes

Landscapes were often of country scenes in England and Wales

Abstracts

Coxon turned more to abstract painting after 1945

Raymond Coxon's work is displayed in galleries throughout the UK

including

Raymond James Coxon

Family

Raymond James Coxon was born in Hanley, Staffordshire on 18th August 1886, the second of seven children to James and Georgina Coxon. The 1902 Census described his fathers occupation as Butcher and they were affluent enough to employ a servant.

School

By 1911 his father was working as a Hostler (the person who has care of the horses) at The Rudyard Hotel in Leek, Staffordshire.

When Raymond completed his schooling at Leek High School he joined the British Army serving in the Cavalry of the Machine Gun Corps during the First World War based in Egypt and Palestine. His experiences are recorded in an interview stored at the Imperial War Museum, London

Leeds School of Art

Coxon attended Leeds School of Art from 1919-1921 where he met and became great friends with Henry Moore.

[Photo: Coxon (top left) and Henry Moore (4th left middle row)]

Royal College of Art

Coxon moved to London and studied at the Royal College of Art from 1921-1925 and then taught at the Richmond School of Art.

Henry Moore letter
1925

In this heart-wrenching letter Henry Moore seeks forgiveness from his best friend Raymond Coxon for proclaiming his love to Coxon’s fiancée, Edna Ginesi. Although dated 1924, the letter was written in 1925 during Moore’s trip to Italy that year; the incorrect date, along with the unevenness of Moore’s script and his anxious, contrite tone, evince perhaps his emotional turmoil. Moore described his love (‘I love her with every breath in my body, it’s beyond anything I ever imagined’), and pleads with Coxon to understand and accept that no harm had been done (Ginesi was in love with Coxon). The trio remained close friends.

[transcribed from a Tate Research Publication]

Marriage

Edna Ginesi, was a fellow student at Leeds, she was Leeds-born but of Italian descent.

Raymond Coxon and Edna Ginesi were married in 1926 with Henry Moore as the best man. The marriage was to last over 70 years. They lived in 2, Grove Studios Hammersmith. Henry Moore lived next door.

When Moore married in 1929 his best man was Raymond Coxon.

Exhibitions 1927-1936

Coxon together with Henry Moore and Leon Underwood formed the short lived British Independent Society in 1927 with an exhibition at the Redfern Gallery.

He had his first solo exhibition at the Cooling Galleries in 1928 and another at the Leicester Galleries in 1936.

Art: An Introduction to Appreciation

In 1932 Coxon published his book:

Art: An Introduction to Appreciation

A review in the Daily Herald said “It is notoriously difficult to interpret art and artists to the rest of the world and Raymond Coxon is to be hailed for making a brave critical plunge. He discourses on such treacherous topics as ‘artistic indigestion’ and ’emotional response to form’ in clear and unpretentious prose. Scan Mr. Coxon I fancy he’ll help you see far more in paintings and sculpture than you’ve ever seen before.”

Add Your Heading Text Here

War Artist

Coxon was contacted by the War Artist Advisory Committee in March 1940. Coxon suggested a picture of “the Potteries with the Skelton Iron and Steel works”, or to go to Palestine.

However, the Committee preferred the suggestion of army subjects at home, and Coxon was commissioned to paint two Horse Guards subjects for £50. By June, he had still not started, having had problems getting the necessary permits. The first picture Coxon submitted, in September 1942, was not liked by the Committee, but two further works were accepted in November, although two others were declined at that time.

No further official commissions were made, but Coxon submitted works, as did his wife and some of Coxon’s were accepted: in February 1942 for 30 guineas, June 1942 for 20 guineas and September 1942 for 10 guineas.

Independently of WAAC, Coxon received commissions from the Royal Navy and the Army that saw him spend time on a corvette on convoy duty, join a river patrol on the Thames and witness parachutists making training jumps.

Post War

After the Second World War, Raymond and Edna travelled abroad including the USA, Spain and Italy.

They held a joint show at the Parkin Gallery in 1985 and he was the subject of a retrospective exhibition at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in 1987.

Raymond James Coxon (b. 18 August 1886) died on 31 January 1997 aged 100 years.

Edna Coxon (b. 15 February 1902) died July 2000 aged 98 years.

A memorial exhibition was held at the Walton Gallery in 2001.

Raymond Coxon's portrait work

includes

Raymond Coxon's landscape work

includes

Raymond Coxon's abstract work

includes

Acknowledgements & Thanks

The Ruth Borchard Collection; Leeds School of Art; Hepworth Wakefield; Tate Gallery; Manchester Art Gallery; Imperial War Museum; Cambridge University; The Independent Newspaper; Bonhams Auctioneers; Christies; Lawrences Auctioneers; Mallams Auctioneers; John Nicholson Fine Art Auctioneer; Sworders Auctioneers; Wikipedia.

Henry Moore, Letter to Raymond Coxon, 1925, although dated 11 March 1924, in ‘Henry Moore: Sculptural Process and Public Identity’, Tate Research Publication, 2015, https://www.tate.org.uk/art/research-publications/henry-moore/henry-moore-letter-to-raymond-coxon-r1145454, accessed 12 October 2020.