Sir Charles John Holmes, K.C.V.O. (1868-1936) was born at Preston, Lancaster 11th November 1868, the elder son of Charles Rivington Holmes, a clergyman, and Mary Susan Holmes. Holmes was educated at Eton College from 1883, and gained a scholarship to Brasenose College, Oxford, in 1887. Holmes left Oxford in 1889 to work for one of his cousins at the publishing company Rivington and Co. He then moved to other publishing companies including Ballantyne's, Nimmo's, and The Vale Press.
He was also a landscape painter in oils and watercolours and many of his paintings were shown at the Tate Gallery. Whilst he was working in publishing he also became an art critic for the Athenaeum, and in 1904 he gave up publishing to become the editor and manager of The Burlington magazine. In 1904 he was also appointed Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford University, an office he held until 1910.
In 1909 Holmes was appointed the Director of the National Portrait Gallery. During his time at the Gallery he was responsible for redecorating the Gallery and re-hanging the pictures in more attractive and educational ways. Whilst at the Gallery he enlisted as an Able Seaman in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve for anti aircraft work during the First World War.
In 1916 Holmes was appointed the Director of the National Gallery. He retired from the National Gallery in 1928, and devoted himself to painting and writing an autobiography, and also served as artistic consultant at Wedgwood.
Holmes published several books on subjects including Hokusai, Constable and Rembrandt. Holmes was knighted in 1921 and awarded the K.C.V.O. in 1928.
In 1903 Holmes married his cousin Florence Hill Rivington, and they had two sons, Martin and Robin.
He died on 7th December 1936 at his home in Kensington aged 68.
