Hercules Brabazon Brabazon

Hercules Brabazon Brabazon (1821–1906), English, Hercules Brabazon Brabazon, originally named Hercules Brabazon Sharpe, was an English artist renowned for his watercolor paintings that echoed the style of J.M.W. Turner. Born into a family of means on November 27, 1821, Brabazon's early years were spent in Paris before his family relocated to East Sussex in 1832. His education spanned prestigious institutions, including Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a degree in mathematics in 1844. Despite his father's wishes for him to pursue law, Brabazon's passion for art and music led him to Rome, where he studied at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia and Accademia di San Luca. The death of his elder brother in 1847 marked a turning point, as he inherited family estates in Connaught and adopted the surname Brabazon, gaining the freedom to dedicate his life to art and travel.
Brabazon's artistic journey was characterized by extensive travels across Europe, Africa, and India, during which he produced a vast collection of watercolors inspired by masters like Velázquez and Turner. He viewed himself as a gentleman amateur, eschewing the commercial art world until his seventies, when, encouraged by peers such as John Singer Sargent, he began exhibiting his work. His exhibitions at the New English Art Club and the Goupil Gallery in Bond Street were met with acclaim. Brabazon, who never married and was known to be homosexual, passed away on May 14, 1906, in Sedlescombe, where he was also laid to rest. His legacy, however, faced challenges when financial difficulties led his relatives to sell a significant portion of his inherited works in 1926, impacting the market value of his art.