Description
A solid silver Morse made by C O Skilbeck 1914 .
Skilbeck was a great designer born in 1865 die 1954 he was a Book illustrator ,church window designer (stain glass) etc.His Obituaries as follows —
Mr C O Skilbeck the Times Apr 7th 1954
Mr Clemet Oswald Skilbeck ,who die recentlyat his home at Bledlow,Buckinghamshire,at the age of 88 ,was an artist of unusual sensitivity and a craftsman of many intrests.
He was born 1865 ,the second son of the late John Henry Skilbeck, and after studying at the Royal Academy Schools he became a painter,trained and steeped in the pre-Raphaelite school of which he must , perhaps have been the last survivor.In his early days he had the privilege of a friendship with William Morris , Sir Edward Burne-Jones, and many of their colleagues ;his lifelong friend was the sculptor the late Sir William Goscombe John .Of his early period his best known picture often reproduced was “The Calling of St Matthew”.At the beginning of this century he turned his widely ranging skill in design and his lively interest in medieval art to church decoration,stained glass design for work in wood and metal ,and to book illustration.
He was a close friend of the late Dr Percy Dearmer,with whom he did much to revive the Sarum use and ,above all ,he was a churchman who brought to his faith bright colour,the sense of tradition ,and honest craftsmanship . In addition to being a most knowledgeableantiquaraian and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, he did much to further interest in peasant crafts and customs in western Norway ,where ho painted many pictures . He was like his father before him, a Freeman of the City of London and has been a member of the H.A.C. since 1882
being the senior member of the company at the time of his death.
