October Art Auction Lot 42 - Low Tide, Killinchy by Romeo Charles Toogood
Romeo Charles Toogood was born in Belfast in 1902. He was the son of Charles Toogood, a stonecarver who travelled from England to work on City Hall in Belfast. In 1916, while living at 74 Hogarth Street, Toogood began his career as painter and decorator. In 1922, he enrolled at the Belfast School of Art studying painting and taught evening classes between 1925-1928. He was encouraged by his mother to attend the Royal College of Art in London, and later returned to Belfast in 1930. In 1931, he began his first teaching post at Larne Technical School, becoming art master at Down High School in 1933. In 1949, he became painting and drawing master at Belfast College of Art until his retirement. Among his pupils were Basil Blackshaw, Cherith McKinstry, and T. P. Flanagan.
In 1936, as an associate of the Ulster Academy of Arts, Toogood’s work was exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy. Toogood was also a member of the avant-garde Ulster Unit, it evolved from the short-lived Ulster Society of Painters and included artists such as John Luke, Colin Middleton, and Mercy Hunter. They showed together on only one occasion at Locksley Hall, Belfast. In this catalogue, Toogood explained his concept of art: ‘The painter’s aim, I think, is to find in nature some sense of formal order, and to translate the same in terms of form and colour into a pattern which relates to the size and shape of his canvas, the degree of abstraction used depending on the individual painter.’
In Northern Harvest, John Hewitt described Toogood’s aesthetic: ‘His colour is altogether quieter that Luke’s, his shapes not so sharply formalised, his vision closer to normal representation.’ He typically painted landscapes, and occasionally portraits. Lot 42 represents an example of his precarious balance between a surreal vibrancy of colour within an orderly representation of nature. The oranges and yellow become significantly vibrant against the rich earth tones, highlighting the central beached boats, while the layers of yellow and blue draw the eye into the distance. His compositions often had a strong sense of realistic structure and solidity matched with fun and experimental colour.
Toogood was infrequent in exhibiting his work, instead prioritising his teaching. Kenneth Jamison in Causeway wrote on Toogood’s formative influence on his students: ‘the intuitive teacher…His teaching was an extraordinary compound of allusion and metaphor patiently contrived for the individual.’ In 1958, he was persuaded by CEMA to hold a small exhibition at the Piccolo Gallery. The Magee Gallery similarly exhibited a series of his watercolours and oils in 1964. Toogood continued to exhibit at the Royal Ulster Academy during this period and produced the occasional wood engraving and linocut. In 1965, he was elected an academician of the RUA.
Toogood died in 1966 and a retrospective exhibition was arranged by the Arts Council in 1978. In 1989, The Bell Gallery held an exhibition of his studio works.
Romeo Charles Toogood was born in Belfast in 1902. He was the son of Charles Toogood, a stonecarver who travelled from England to work on City Hall in Belfast. In 1916, while living at 74 Hogarth Street, Toogood began his career as painter and decorator. In 1922, he enrolled at the Belfast School of Art studying painting and taught evening classes between 1925-1928. He was encouraged by his mother to attend the Royal College of Art in London, and later returned to Belfast in 1930. In 1931, he began his first teaching post at Larne Technical School, becoming art master at Down High School in 1933. In 1949, he became painting and drawing master at Belfast College of Art until his retirement. Among his pupils were Basil Blackshaw, Cherith McKinstry, and T. P. Flanagan.
In 1936, as an associate of the Ulster Academy of Arts, Toogood’s work was exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy. Toogood was also a member of the avant-garde Ulster Unit, it evolved from the short-lived Ulster Society of Painters and included artists such as John Luke, Colin Middleton, and Mercy Hunter. They showed together on only one occasion at Locksley Hall, Belfast. In this catalogue, Toogood explained his concept of art: ‘The painter’s aim, I think, is to find in nature some sense of formal order, and to translate the same in terms of form and colour into a pattern which relates to the size and shape of his canvas, the degree of abstraction used depending on the individual painter.’
In Northern Harvest, John Hewitt described Toogood’s aesthetic: ‘His colour is altogether quieter that Luke’s, his shapes not so sharply formalised, his vision closer to normal representation.’ He typically painted landscapes, and occasionally portraits. Lot 42 represents an example of his precarious balance between a surreal vibrancy of colour within an orderly representation of nature. The oranges and yellow become significantly vibrant against the rich earth tones, highlighting the central beached boats, while the layers of yellow and blue draw the eye into the distance. His compositions often had a strong sense of realistic structure and solidity matched with fun and experimental colour.
Toogood was infrequent in exhibiting his work, instead prioritising his teaching. Kenneth Jamison in Causeway wrote on Toogood’s formative influence on his students: ‘the intuitive teacher…His teaching was an extraordinary compound of allusion and metaphor patiently contrived for the individual.’ In 1958, he was persuaded by CEMA to hold a small exhibition at the Piccolo Gallery. The Magee Gallery similarly exhibited a series of his watercolours and oils in 1964. Toogood continued to exhibit at the Royal Ulster Academy during this period and produced the occasional wood engraving and linocut. In 1965, he was elected an academician of the RUA.
Toogood died in 1966 and a retrospective exhibition was arranged by the Arts Council in 1978. In 1989, The Bell Gallery held an exhibition of his studio works.
