Entering the Royal Academy Schools as a probationer in painting in 1860, he rapidly progressed, winning silver and gold medals, and making his debut as an exhibitor in 1864 with A Portrait, and Turned out of Church, a subject picture.

[2] In 1886, he produced a portrait of Millais as his diploma work, but his health rapidly declined and he died at Hampstead, north London, on 31 July 1888.

[4] He is buried in a vault on the western side of Highgate Cemetery and was joined by his wife Annie Laura on 10 June 1931, who died aged 86 at their home, Three Gables, Fitzjohn's Avenue, Hampstead.

In this year he was elected A.R.A., and exhibited The Gifts of the Fairies, The Daughter of the House, Absconded, and a portrait of Samuel Cousins the mezzotint engraver.

The consequences of this strain upon a constitution which was never strong were more or less, though unequally, manifest in Ordered to the Front, a soldier's departure (1880); Home Again, its sequel, in 1883 (after which he was made Royal Academician).

As recorded in the biography by another daughter:[Nina] had one day wandered into the studio after a sitting....calmly mounted the throne and taken up Lord Wolseley’s sword, which happened to be lying across the chair.