John Callcott Horsley (29 January 1817 – 18 October 1903) was an English academic painter of genre and historical scenes, illustrator, and designer of the first Christmas card. He was a member of the artists' colony in Cranbrook.
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Childhood and education
Horsley was born in London, the son of William Horsley, the musician, and grand-nephew of Sir Augustus Callcott. His sister Mary Elizabeth Horsley wed the famous British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1836. Horsley was mentored by William Mulready and Augustus Wall Callcot who sent him at age thirteen to study at Dr Henry Sass's academy where he met D.G Rossetti, J. Millais and W.P. Frith; in his biography Horsley recalls Dr Sass as being vain and untalented. Following preparatory school Horsley studied painting at the Royal Academy schools where he met Thomas Webster. He exhibited The Pride of the Village at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1839. It was later part of the Vernon Gift to the nation.
Family life
Horsley married Elvira Walter in 1846 with whom he had three sons: Edward (1848), Frank (1849), and Harry (1850). Elvira died of consumption in 1852 followed by the deaths of Edward and Harry in 1854 and Frank in 1857 due to scarlet fever.
Horsley remarried, to Rosamund Haden, who came from a family of distinguished surgeons—her father Charles Haden had a practice in Sloan Street and her brother Francis Seymour Haden was a surgeon and etcher, who founded the Royal Society of Painters, Etchers and Engravers in 1880. Rosamund gave birth to Walter Charles (1855–1934), Hugh (1856), Victor (1857-1916), Emma (1858), Fanny (1859-1949), Gerald (1862) and Rosamund Brunel (1864-1949). Gerald grew up to be an architect, Walter an artist also studying at the RA Schools. Sir Victor Horsley became famous as a surgeon and neuropathologist, and a prominent supporter of the cause of experimental research. Fanny (Frances) became Lady Whitelegge. Hugh and Emma died of scarlet fever.