Hubert von Herkomer (born 1849, Waal, Bavaria; died 1914, Budleigh Salterton, Devonshire) first achieved prominence in England with his illustrations of modern life for the Graphic magazine. Despite the fact that Herkomer became one of the most successful and influential artists of the late Victorian age, his reputation fell into obscurity after his death. This thesis aims to re-establish Herkomer's stature by describing and analyzing his scenes from modern life. While these works comprise the imagery for which his career is most respected and remembered, there exists no modern appraisal of them.

Chapter One outlines Herkomer's life and his multi-faceted career. His willingness to experiment, and the didactic and social aims of his achievement in other fields are presented as a force that gave greater meaning to his modern life subjects. This is followed by a chapter on his Graphic illustrations. It is noted that they look consistently different from those of his English contemporaries both in their formal presentation and subject matter. An appendix lists all of Herkomer's known Graphic engravings. While Herkomer's rural themes contradict a strictly Baudelairian concept of modern life subjects, Chapter Three interprets those themes as an alternative vision to the urban imagery by which he made his reputation. Chapter Four focuses on The Last Muster and themes of old age and death, and reflects on larger contemporary issues. This discussion is followed by a chapter on Herkomer's portraits, and the huge group portraits painted at the end of his career. As modern life subjects, they endorsed the artist's wish to paint "true" or modern history that revealed the spirit of the age for the benefit of future generations. While these images record the great and powerful of his day, his social themes, discussed in Chapter Six, document the victims of a materialistic society. The influence of these social themes on Herkomer's younger English contemporaries is also presented. The effect of Herkomer's art on the emergent modernism of Vincent van Gogh is proposed in a concluding epilogue.