Explore: Bill Jacklin

(1943 - )

Bill Jacklin was born in London. After studying graphics at Walthamstow School of Art from 1960–61, he worked as a graphic designer at Studio Seven in Holborn, London. In 1962 he returned to study painting first at Walthamstow and then from 1964–67 at the Royal College of Art (RCA). Between 1967–75 he taught at various colleges, including the RCA, Hornsey and Chelsea Schools of Art. In 1975 he gave up teaching after receiving an Arts Council Bursary; the same year he had two solo exhibitions at the Upper Gallery and Nigel Greenwood Gallery in London. He continued to exhibit his work in numerous solo and group exhibitions in the UK and New York. His fascination with metropolitan scenes of everyday life, are modern interpretations reminiscent in style of those of Paris from the 1860s to the 1880s by Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, Caillebotte and Seurat. Jacklin’s paintings are not literal records of what he sees, but have been described as sharing a ‘mix of on-the-spot-truth and unreal reverie.’ In 1991 Jacklin was elected Royal Academician; followed in 1993 by his appointment by as official Artist-in-Residence for the British Council in Hong Kong until 1994. His work is represented in numerous public collections, chiefly in the UK and the United States. He has also completed several commissions including works for the Bank of England; The Ivy Restaurant, London; and the North Terminal of Washington National Airport, USA. Recent exhibitions of his work include Bill Jacklin RA: The Graphic Work 1961–2016 at the Royal Academy (2016); and Bill Jacklin: 1986–2016 at Marlborough New York (2017).