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About the artist: William Powell Frith
William Powell Frith: Painting the Victorian Age
About the Artist
William Powell Frith
William Powell Frith was born in 1819 in Aldfield, a village
in North Yorkshire. His father was the house steward at
Studley Royal. However, he soon moved on to become a hotel manager
in Harrogate. The young William's artistic talent caught
his father's attention and it was he who encouraged the
boy.
At 16 years of age Frith found himself down in London at the
Sass Academy and in three years he gained a place at none other
than the Royal Academy. His need for money meant that, whilst
studying, he worked as a portrait painter.
In 1838 he had his first picture exhibited in London at the
British Institute and two years later "Twelfth Night" was shown at
the Royal Academy of Art. For the whole of his life he enjoyed
painting literary and historic scenes including Shakespeare.
He was greatly influenced by others such as
his friend David Wilkie, who painted "The Chelsea Pensioners". He
admired the works of the novelist Charles Dickens. These men
inspired him to branch out into larger composite pictures which
soon gained him fame.He always loved to paint the human form and it was the careful
observation of people in everyday situations that lead on to his
larger works. He was always amazed when fellow artists told him
that they painted from memory. He relied entirely on painting
actual people. He liked to use ordinary people as models but they
often turned up drunk and had no sense of responsibility. So, as
well as professional models, Frith placed friends and family in his
work.
It was inspired by a holiday taken there with his wife
and family. He wanted to paint contemporary life instead of the set
poses of portraits. This work took him a long time and to begin
with he was uncertain if it would be popular. However, it sold for
1,000 guineas.
This picture was followed in 1858 with The Derby Day, showing
one of the great events in the horse racing year. Again he painted
the mix of 'types' that public events attract- some good, some bad.
It took him 15 months to complete it and he took the novel step of
hiring a photographer to aid him, by taking photographs at the race
course. When the picture was first shown rails were needed to keep
the viewers back.
In 1862 Frith used Paddington Station as the subject of a
third large composition. His family and servants all stood as
models and he even placed himself in the
picture. The piece took a year to complete.
Prints of his paintings made his work hugely popular.
His personal life was happy, though secretive. Frith and his
wife had 12 children whom he loved and spent time with, unlike many
Victorian fathers. You can see this in "Many Happy Returns of the
Day", a picture of his daughter's birthday party.
There were many more pictures- moral tales, portraits of the
famous, royal events. His popularity faded in the 1880s. He blamed
the new impressionist movement which did not to his mind show the
care in painting of his works .Frith had no time for the
Pre-Raphaelites.
He died in 1909 following an illness of 4 days and was
cremated, as was his wish. He saw himself not as a great artist but
as one who achieved success.
The William Powell Frith Chronology
can also be found in the teachers pack