Geoffrey Hamilton Rhoades

Geoffrey Hamilton Rhoades was born in 1898 in Balham, London. He spent two years at Clapham Art School before serving in the Merchant Navy during the War.  During his Slade years between 1919 and 1924 he socialized with both fellow students and a number of established artists at Barnett Freedman’s studio off the Tottenham Court Road, among whom were Albert Houthueson, Percy Horton and Charles Mahoney; he then followed Percy Horton as the art master at Bishop’s Stortford College, remaining in this post for fifteen years.

In 1934 Geoffrey married Joan Jenner whom he is reputed to have met at a Royal College Ball, and they remained together until his death in 1980. A move to Essex brought them close to Great Bardfield where the artists’ group including Edward Bawden, Eric Ravilious, Michael Rothenstein and several other distinguished artists had collected away from London. Geoffrey and Joan were intimate members of this creative community and remained so during the war. Geoffrey and Charles Mahoney assisted Edward Bawden in the renovation of the garden at Brick House, Great Bardfield.

Geoffrey was one of those artists, like Percy Horton and Charles Mahoney, who made an exchange of fame for the pleasure of teaching.  The Tate purchased his winter view of Chalk Farm in 1935 but some of his best loved work reflects the woodlands and gardens that he knew in London and the shires.