Jack the Ripper: Case Study
By Vickie BrittonLesson 6: A look at Pat Cornwell's book: Portrait of a Killer and Suspect Walter Sickert
In this section, the life of artist Walter Sickert will be explored. The idea that he may have been Jack the Ripper will be examined by taking a look at his personal life, his paintings and other possible evidence. The primary source for this lesson will be Patricia Cornwell's novel, Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper--Case Closed.
Artist Walter Sickert--An Overview of his Life
Walter Sickert was born on May 31, 1860 in Munich, Germany. He came from a long line of artists. Both his father Oswald and his grandfather were respectable artists. His father Oswald was described as a restless man, somewhat ill-tempered, who was careless with money. There was no evidence his father was violent, but he was described as being mean-spirited. His mother Eleanor, called "Nelly", was described as being charming and attractive. Walter was the first of the Sickert's brood of six children, five boys and one girl.
Sickert's mother appeared to dote on him and called him her beautiful child. Most of what is known of his childhood comes from accounts of his sister Helena. According to her, he was charming, energetic and quarrelsome. He could also be clever, manipulative and somewhat deceitful. When growing up, Sickert was kicked out of at least one boarding school.
It is known that at an early age, Walter Sickert suffered some kind of medical trauma. He had three surgeries starting at the age of five for some kind of fistula. According to Cornwell's speculation, the fistula caused a deformity of his penis which may have rendered him impotent and fueled the rage behind the Ripper crimes. This is not well-documented. Cornwell admits there is no factual proof that he was impotent or evidence to document the specific type of surgery he had as a child.
During his lifetime, according to most sources, Sickert had three wives and a mistress, which would be quite an accomplishment for a man presumed to be impotent. In 1885 he married Ellen Cobden. She was much older than him and their marriage was unhappy. During the course of the marriage he spent a lot of time away from home and they eventually divorced.
It was rumored that during the time of his marriage to Ellen he had an affair with his ward, Alice Crook, the daughter of Annie Crook, and that they had a son, Joseph Sickert. (In some accounts he and Alice were married).
No mention is made of Joseph Sickert in Cornwell's book, but Joseph claimed to be Sickert's son and played a large part in the background for Stephen Knight's book, The Final Solution. Whether legitimate or illegitimate, Joseph went by the last name of Sickert. In 1911 Sickert married Christine Angus and after her death he later married a third wife, painter Therese Lessere.
Sickert started out as an actor, but had also shown an early interest in art. He decided to become a painter. He was a disciple of Edgar Degas, and also an admirer of James Whistler. He studied under Whistler and they were friends, but the relationship eventually cooled.
Sickert became a highly respected Impressionist painter. He was known for his Degas-influenced paintings of London music hall scenes. He often preferred to portray the grim side of urban life. His style is widely imitated by other artists.
Among his admirers was author Virginia Woolfe. He was a dominant figure in British Impressionism, and is considered an important influence in the transition from Impressionism to Modernism. In fact, during his lifetime, Sickert was considered one of the most important artists living in England.
In addition to painting, he was an art critic and prolific letter writer. He maintained several studios during his lifetime where he instructed aspiring artists. He spent quite a bit of his time in Dieppe France, where he evenually moved. He died in 1942 at the age of 82. Suggested Reading: Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper: Case Closed. Chapters 5 and 6
Casebook: Jack the Ripper: The Art of Murder
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