You can waste thousands of words explaining Victor’s art, but the images will remain to tell the true story of craftsmanship, dedication and imagination.
Victor was born 21st of May 1940 in Mile End London as Victor Harrison. Harrison was the name of his adoption father. His natural father was unknown. When his mother left Mr. Harrison, she changed her name to Linford so Victor became Victor Linford-Harrison and later Victor Linford.
As a child, Victor was sent to the Norwood Home for Jewish Children in 1951. One of his schoolmasters recognized his artistic talent and later he was accepted to the Camberwell school of arts and crafts. He received his National diploma in Design in august 1960.
After a few trips to Sweden Victor moved to the Netherlands in order to work there, marry and raise a family. After several menial jobs, he succeeded in establishing himself as an artist. The first artistic period coincides with Victor’s stay in the local vicarage with his in-laws in Spankeren, a small village near Arnhem.
This period started with rather dark drawings and paintings about social issues, landscapes and commissioned portraits. Later Victor, Mienke and their son Christiaan moved to an old farmhouse where he built a studio in the old stables. Meanwhile his work had evolved into rather fantastic and colourful landscapes, nudes and vivid (though not always flattering) portraits. Two daughters, Lilian and Victoria were born. Victor worked prolifically while showing a natural aptitude as a Bon Vivant as well. He exhibited in many galleries in the Netherlands and in 1972 and 1973 traveled to Tel Aviv and Haifa. Also after a divorce in 1972 he moved to Nijmegen. Here the “Nijmegen” period started where his landscapes became intricate and often excessively detailed fantasies.
In 1974 Hein Steehouwer wrote his book “Meta-Realisten”, launching a group of seven artists as a new painting “popgroup”. Victor was one of this group and there were exhibitions, radio and television broadcasts. Victor worked and lived in Nijmegen and France for the rest of his career. The paintings became even more detailed and multicoloured. He was working on a commission for a series of zodiac paintings when, at the 6th of December 2002, driving home after a celebratory dinner with Victoria’s family, his hart stopped and the “Victorian era” in the Netherlands ended prematurely.
Victor has left this world into his next landscape.
Christiaan Linford
You can scroll down to see a selection of paintings by Victor Linford.
There is a very interesting video about Victor by Roderik Rodenburg. In several interviews Victor explains his painting process, his life and views about art in general. See this video here.
*Please note: I do not trade in Victor’s paintings. If you want to buy or sell a painting by Victor Linford, you can use art dealers, auctions and auction websites.
