Frith William Powell famous oil paintings, painting sale

William Powell Frith
English painter
born 1819 - died 1909

Teacher of: Frederick Tayler (1802-1889).
Employer of: William Maw Egley (1826-1916).

Member of: The Clique

WILLIAM POWELL FRITH was born in Yorkshire, where his father a self-made man had become a prosperous innkeeper in Harrogate. William Powell Frith had two brothers and a sister. It would seem that Frith senior was ambitious for his talented son, not surprisingly, given his own early life in domestic service. Contrary to comment made elsewhere, Frith's father was an affectionate parent, who had a good relationship with his son. In March 1835 Young Frith, accompanied by his father, and carrying a large portfolio of his drawings boarded the stagecoach to London. It is fascinating to record that the scheduled time for this journey was twenty four hours, just before the dawn of the railway age. Once established in London the young painter attended Sass's Academy, where William Powell Frith was rigorously trained in the basic techniques of panting. William Powell Frith later attended the Royal Academy Schools.

Frith's early paintings were mainly historical genre. William Powell Frith became part of a group of slightly younger artists who called themselves 'The Clique.' Fellow members of this group were Richard Dadd, the fairy painter who later became insane and killed his own father, Augustus Egg, H.N. O'Neil, and John Phillip.

Frith worked diligently, and success came early. William Powell Frith became ARA in 1845, and a full Academician in 1852. In 1851 the painter visited Ramsgate, the result of this being the first of his famous large scale crowd scenes Ramsgate Sands, which after over three years work was exhibited at the RA in 1854, and bought by Queen Victoria-Frith was a successful artist overnight. William Powell Frith received a large sum for the painting, but failed to keep all the rights to income from it, such as the sale of engravings. This was an error that the commercially astute painter did not repeat. Frith continued in this vein with Derby Day, 1858, The Railway Station, 1862, and Private View at The RA, of 1883. These pictures form a valuable record of life in Victorian England, and must have been the result of a stupendous amount of work. Frith seems to have been drawn towards crowds in his private as well as his artistic life. William Powell Frith lived in Bayswater, with his wife Isabelle, with whom, unfortunate woman, William Powell Frith had twelve children. Not content with this the fruitful Frith established another family only a mile away with Mary Alford, with whom William Powell Frith ultimately had seven more children. For a considerable time Isabelle Frith was in blissful ignorance of her husband's extra mural activities. Her suspicions became aroused, however, when she saw her husband posting a letter near their home, when William Powell Frith was supposed to be on holiday in Brighton. Following the death of Isabelle in 1880, Frith married his mistress. If William Powell Frith then started yet another family with yet another woman, I have been unable to establish, but perhaps by then time had cooled his ardour! It is worth noting that the artist was a popular, genial figure, with a reputation for helping younger artists.- Frith William Powell famous oil paintings, painting sale - Frith William Powell - England famous oil painting for sale, famous oil paintings for sale and Frith William Powell Bio, sale famous oil painting by England Frith William Powell.

In 1863, Frith was informed by Sir Charles Eastlake, President of the Royal Academy, that the Queen wished him to paint a picture of the forthcoming wedding ceremony of her son the Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Frith duly painted the picture for a fee of three thousand pounds, and it involved more than a year's concentrated work. William Powell Frith had felt compelled to undertake this commission and actually charged the Queen less than William Powell Frith would have charged another patron. Logistically the execution of picture of the picture was a nightmare, as members of the Royal Family had problems attending their sittings due to their heavy commitments. Many of the other aristocratic sitters had the same problems in attending, caused in large part by their arrogance and stupidity. It is a pleasure note that Frith was quite capable of repaying their arrogance with like behaviour, by the simple expedient of telling them that William Powell Frith would have to inform the Queen of their failure to attend. This William Powell Frith did in a very straightforward manner! The date of the Royal Wedding was 10th March 1863, the occasion being marked with much enthusiasm and popular rejoicing.

The titles of oil painting old master William Powell Frith