George Rae (banker) facts for kids
George Rae (1817–1902) was a British man who lived a long time ago. He worked as a banker and stockbroker in Birkenhead, a town in England. But he is most famous for something else: he loved art! He was a big supporter of a special group of artists called the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He bought and asked for many paintings from artists like Ford Madox Brown, Arthur Hughes, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
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Who Was George Rae?
George Rae was born in 1817 and passed away in 1902. He spent most of his life working with money. As a banker, he helped people save or borrow money. As a stockbroker, he helped people buy and sell parts of companies, called stocks. He lived and worked in Birkenhead, which is a town located near Liverpool.
George Rae: A Friend to Artists
Even though he worked with money, George Rae had a huge passion for art. He became a patron of art. This means he was a person who supported artists by buying their work and sometimes even paying them to create new pieces. He was especially interested in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. This was a group of young English artists who wanted to paint in a new way. They liked bright colors and detailed pictures, often inspired by stories and nature.
Famous Paintings He Supported
George Rae was a very important collector for these artists. He bought many of their paintings. One famous example is a painting by Dante Gabriel Rossetti called The Beloved. George Rae asked Rossetti to paint it in 1863. He paid £300 for it, which was a lot of money back then! The painting was finished two years later. He also owned another well-known painting by Rossetti called Monna Vanna.
His Art Collection at Redcourt
George Rae kept his amazing art collection in his home called Redcourt. This house was located in the Wirral. Besides the Pre-Raphaelite paintings, he also collected beautiful landscape paintings. These were pictures of nature and outdoor scenes. He bought landscapes from local artists in Liverpool, like William J Bond and William Davis. His home was like a private art gallery, filled with the beautiful works he loved.
