Identity:
Alfred Lys Baldry was an artist and writer on art.
Life:
Baldry was an Oxford graduate who was awarded a scholarship to study art at South Kensington in 1877. In the late 1870s the painter Albert Moore began to take on a number of students and studio assistants. Walford Graham Robertson was one of the first and worked with Moore from 1879-80 and 1885-1887. Baldry became Moore's pupil during Robertson's absence in 1880. He also acted as Moore's assistant, and developed not only a close working relationship, but an intimate friendship, with the painter.
Baldry began to exhibit his own figure paintings and landscapes in the early 1880s. He also became involved in the theatre. In 1892 he was commissioned by Montague Marks, the editor of Art Amateur to write an illustrated account of Moore's career. He followed this with articles on Moore in the Pall Mall Budget, Studio, Art Journal and Old Water Colour Society Club.
At Moore's death in September 1893 Baldry collaborated with Robertson on an exhibition of 100 paintings and drawings by Moore to be held at the Goupil Gallery. The show opened on 22 January 1894. He also published in this year a biography of Moore, in which he championed the artist's cause. This work provides invaluable information on Moore's life and work at Holland Lane.
JW was appreciative of an article Baldry wrote for the Pall Mall Budget linking him artistically with Moore. In March 1894 Baldry wrote to him requesting that he provide personal details concerning Moore to be included in his biography. He flatteringly referred to JW as Moore's 'most intimate friend, and in a sense his master' (#00235). Baldry kept JW up to date with the progress of his biography. In July 1894 he declared to JW his intention to avoid 'the more private details of his life', and only consider him 'as a great artist' (#00236).
Baldry became a prolific writer on contemporary art. He showed a keen interest in JW's work, and in March 1898 he requested that JW send him some drawings or pictures of his to be included in a special edition on contemporary art in the Studio (#00237).
Bibliography:
Baldry, A. L., 'Albert Moore', Studio, vol. 3, April 1894, pp. 3-6, 46-51; Baldry, A. L., 'Whistler and Albert Moore', Pall Mall Budget, vol. 1323, 1 February 1894, p. 14; Baldry, A. L., Albert Moore: His Life and Works, London, 1894; Baldry, A. L., 'Albert Moore: An Appreciation', Art Journal, vol. 65, February 1903, pp. 33-36; Baldry, J. A., 'James McNeill Whistler: His Art and Influence,' Studio, XXIX, 1903, pp. 237-45; Baldry, A. L., Three Great Modern Painters: Leighton, Burne-Jones and Whistler, London, 1908; Baldry, A. L., 'Albert Moore (1841-1893)', The Old Water-Colour Society Club, vol. 8, 1930-1, pp. 41-47; Asleson, Robyn, Albert Moore, London, 2000.