Identity:

Henry Horace Cauty was a historical and genre painter.

Life:

Cauty was friendly with Whistler in the 1880s and was among those who are known to have breakfasted with him. He was a member of the Society of British Artists and Whistler, who had been elected a member on 21 November 1884, was in correspondence with him from 1885 to 1889 concerning the affairs of the Society, of which Cauty was the Secretary. Whistler became its President in June 1886. In June 1888 Whistler resigned his Presidency of the Society, which by this time had received a Royal Charter, but he retained his post until November of that year. By this time relations between Whistler and 'naughty Cauty' were somewhat strained. Among Whistler's complaints were the alterations made to the lion and butterfly design which he had painted on the RBA noticeboard at the entrance of the Suffolk Street Gallery when he had become President.

Bibliography:

Young, Andrew McLaren, Margaret F. MacDonald, Robin Spencer and Hamish Miles, The Paintings of James McNeill Whistler, New Haven and London, 1980.