Death Notice - The Times Tuesday 21st November 1933.
JOPLING-ROWE.

On November 19th at Manor Farm, Chesham Bois, Louise Jopling-Rowe, wife of George W Rowe.
Funeral Service at St Leonard's Church, Chesham Bois, tomorrow (Wednesday) at 11.45. Train starts from Baker Street at 10.26 for Amersham, not Maryleborne as previously arranged.

OBITUARY. The Times, Monday 20th November 1933.
Mrs Jopling- Rowe. Artist and Lecturer.

We regret to announce the death of Mrs Louise Jopling-Rowe (Louise Jopling), the well -known artist and lecturer, who died at her home at Amersham, Buckinghamshire, where she had been gravely ill for the last few days. She was 90 years old.

Mrs Jopling Rowe was a great social figure in her day, and her life was as full as it was long. She was married three times-at 17 to Mr Romer, a civil servant, from whom she separated on account of his recklessness with financial matters; after his death in 1872 to Mr Middlemore Jopling, ( Joseph 'Joe' Middleton Jopling 1831-1884, friend and boon companion of Millais, watercolourist, and champion rifle shot), also a civil servant who died in 1884; and finally to George W Rowe a lawyer.

She was an extremely handsome and vivacious woman, and her jesting tribute to herself in a "parlour game" to the effect that: "He who is in love with Mrs Jopling, Ana be neither fool or fopling," was a fair comment on the effect she made. Millais painted her portrait, which is now in the Tate Gallery, and she was immensely popular in artistic London.

Born in 1843 in Manchester, the fifth child of Mr T S Goode, a railway contractor, she went to Paris where she met and married her first husband, who was then acting as a secretary to Baron Nathaniel Rothschild. She studied under Charles Chaplin (not the comic actor I think), who, at first dismissing her work as terrible, came to regard her as his favourite and most promising pupil. In 1876 she returned to London, where Frith advised her not to study at the Academy schools, lest she should lose her individuality. Instead she went to Leigh's Academy where she had as fellow students Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson and Samuel Butler the author, of whom she left a vivid picture in "Twenty Years of My Life," published in 1925.

Having already exhibited her drawings at the Salon she had her first picture at the Academy in 1871. It was a self-portrait entitled "Bud and Bloom." Thereafter she continued to exhibit at the Academy, Grosvenor Gallery, and Paris Salon.

Her pictures were either portraits or figure compositions under such titles as "Isabella and the pot of Basil, Elaine, Indian Princess, and Queen Vashti. Among her portraits were Samuel Smiles (1812-1904 journalist and author of that seminal work for the Victorian upwardly-mobile "Self-Help"), and she also painted Ellen Terry (1848-1928 the great actress), as Portia. Her work had a good deal of merit, being sound in drawing, if it was inclined to be somewhat theatrical in presentation.

After the death of her second husband Mrs Jopling set up a school of art, and had a good deal of success as a teacher. She lectured on art, and published several books including "Tete-a-Tete Bridge" and "Hints To Students and Amateurs", and contributed poems and articles to various periodicals. Settled in Buckinghamshire after her third marriage Mrs Jopling-Rowe was President of the Chiltern Club for Arts and Handicrafts, and the Buckinghamshire Arts Guild.

When all has been said about her artistic activities, it is as a personality that Mrs Jopling-Rowe will be remembered. She retained her popularity to the last. Her 90th birthday was marked by a pathetic incident. Sir David Murray RA, (1849-1933 celebrated Scottish landscape painter), who was one of her oldest friends was in the habit of sending her a book as a birthday present. This year the book was received as usual, but the giver had died two days before, though the news was kept from her on account of her illness.

Biography