William Edward Frank Britten
William Edward Frank Britten (1848 – 1916) was a British painter and illustrator. It is known that he worked in
Biography
William Edward Frank Britten was born in 1848 in Lambeth, London
Works
Britten followed in the neoclassical tradition of Frederick Leighton and Albert Moore.[8] In terms of actual productions, he ranged from working as a decorative artist to paintings. In style, his designs varied from those that followed the tradition of Victorian classicism to those that were influenced by Pre-Raphaelite paintings. His works are located at the Victoria and Albert Museum.[5]
Britten illustrated the last published poem of Christina Rossetti before her death for the 1894 issue of Magazine of Art.[9] Also, he served as illustrator for:
- Contributions to The Graphic Magazine (1885–1886)[5]
- Algernon Charles Swinburne's Carols of the Year (1893)[5]
- Moira O'Neill's The Elf-Errant (1895)[5]
- Edmund Gosse's translation of Baron de la Motte Fouque's Undine (1896)[5]
- Alfred Tennyson's The Early Poems of Alfred Lord Tennyson (1901), including the poems:
- Mrs Bellamy's Diamonds (1905)[5]
Critical reception
A contemporary review by
Other reviews on the mentioning the Swinburne series appeared in the January, February, and May issues of The Critic, but they simply acknowledge Britten as the illustrator for that Swinburne's "December", "Carol", and "May". However, two of the reviews were more favourable. A 28 January 1893 review notes, "A sonnet by Swinburne, 'January,' is framed in an interesting drawing by W. E. F. Britten."[12] A review for 6 May 1893, a review claims, "In the series of pictures and sonnets of the months by Mr. W. E. F. Britten and Mr. Algernon Charles Swinburne, both poet and painter have done their best for April".[13]
In the 20th century, art historian Simon Houfe said that Britten "excelled as a decorative artist, placing his subjects in elaborate frames, the Shaftesbury Tribute in The Graphic of 185 is a good example."[5]
Gallery
Complete illustrations for The Early Poems of Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1901)
-
The Garden at Somersby Rectory
Notes
- ^ England & Wales, FreeBDM Birth Index
- ^ The Dome - Decorative scheme www.explore-stpauls.net
- ^ The Life of the Rt. Hon. Sir Charles W. Dilke VI by Stephen Gwynn.
- ^ Architects and Architecture of London by Kenneth Allinson.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Houfe 1981 p. 244
- ^ The Royal Scottish Academy School of Painting in Every Woman's Encyclopaedia". c1912
- ^ England & Wales, Death index
- ^ a b Weintraub 1989 p. 107
- ^ Kooistra 2002 p. 44
- ^ Baldry 1902 pp. 44–45
- ^ Sketchley 1903 p. 29
- ^ The Critic 1893 pp. 12, 120, 354, 53
- ^ The Critic 1893 p. 300
References
- Anonymous. "The Fine Arts". The Critic: Issues 340-365. New York: The Critic Company: 1893.
- Baldry, Alfred. Modern Mural Decoration. London: G Newnes, 1902.
- Houfe, Simon. The Dictionary of British Book Illustrators and Caricaturists, 1800–1914. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1981.
- Kooistra, Lorraine. Christina Rossetti and Illustration. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2002.
- Sketchley, Rose. English Book-Illustration of To-Day. London: K Paul, Trench, Trubner and Co., 1903.
- Weintraub, Stanley. Bernard Shaw on the London art scene, 1885-1950 University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1989.
- Wood, Christopher; Newall, Christopher; and Richardson, Margaret. Victorian Painters. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors' Club, 1995.