Walford Graham Robertson
Date of birth: 1867
Date of death: 1948.09.04
Category: artist, collector
Identity:
Walford Graham Robertson was a painter, designer and collector.
Life:
He was also a collector and patron of Whistler, whom he met in 1890, when he bought Arrangement in Brown and Black: Portrait of Miss Rosa Corder y203. He also owned Crepuscule in Flesh Colour and Green: Valparaiso y073 and Design for a Mosaic m1226. Robertson contributed a spoke to the fan decorated by various artists, including Whistler, in 1894/1898 (Dancing girl, on a fan m1423). In 1892, he looked after Nocturne: Blue and Gold - St Mark's, Venice y213 when Whistler moved to Paris.
He wrote poetry and lived at Sandhills, Witley, Surrey. He exhibited at the RBA. In his memoirs, Time Was, he recorded the world of the Pre-Raphaelites and the theatre, and he describes Whistler as 'courteous, kindly and affectionate' and 'a pitiless critic of his own output'.
Bibliography:
; Maas, Jeremy, The Victorian Art World in Photographs, London, 1984 .
