A finely painted genre scene of a young woman knitting beside a girl by John William Haynes. The girl holds a large wooden trug in her lap as the young woman knits. A painting entitled ‘Knitting’ was exhibited at the Royal Society of British Artists in 1875/6, no. 185 and this could well be one in the same work.

John William Haynes was born at George Street, Euston Square, London on 23 November, 1831 to Henry Haynes and Mary Anne Haynes (née Kent). His father was a carver and gilder who ran a successful business employing 6 men which allowed his children to receive a good education that would have also included art tuition. His older brother Henry also became an artist and were most likely taught together. Haynes initially followed in his father’s footsteps working as a carver for the family firm, however, in his spare he continued to develop his talent for painting.

In 1852, he made his debut at both the Royal Academy and the Royal Society of British Artists, continuing to exhibit there over the years with genre paintings. He also exhibited at the British Institution from 1852-1865. Haynes specialised in figure paintings often featuring families in cottage interiors and rural or coastal locations. He signed his work J W Haynes, preferring to use his initials which helps distinguish him from another artist with a similar name.

By the time of his marriage to Elizabeth Checketts at Wolverhampton on 17 September, 1857, he had established himself as a successful figure artist. The couple settled in Wolverhampton where their first child Bessie was born, who also became an artist. By 1861, he had relocated to Stapleford in Cambridgeshire where 4 more children were born. Around 1866, they moved to Leamington Spa where they lived for 5 years and went on to have 11 children in total. Haynes then took the family to live in Sutton in Surrey for a short time before returning to the capital to live in Islington at 45 Roden Street.

Haynes spent the final years of his life living at 10 Newport Terrace, Barnstaple, Devon where he died in 1924 aged 93. Examples of his work can be found at the Preston Park Museum and the York Art Gallery.