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William Powell Frith: A Painter & His World
William Powell Frith was one of the most popular and most successful figures of the Victorian art world yet, until now, there has been no biography about him. In "William Powell A Painter and His World" art historian Christopher Wood tells the remarkable, lively and colourful life of this reluctant artist. Born in the same year as Queen Victoria, Frith originally wanted to be an auctioneer but was forced by his parents - who were convinced of his genius - to take up art as a career. His work spanned the entire Victorian age and he became famous for large-scale paintings such as "Derby Day" - which, when exhibited, had to be protected from jostling crowds by policemen - and The Railway Station. A favourite of the Royal Family, and friendly with Turner, Landseer and Dickens, Frith was at the centre of the Victorian artistic world. His memoirs reveal him as a humorous and acute observer, while his domestic life was also typically he had a wife, a mistress, and nineteen children. As Christopher Wood shows the story of Frith's life is more than an artist's biography; it is a picture of the entire Victorian period, starring one of its greatest characters.
Hardcover
First published January 25, 2007
7 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Wood
19 books5 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Christopher Wood was Britain's leading writer and broadcaster on the subject of Victorian art. For thirteen years he worked for the London auction house Christie's, becoming director of nineteenth-century paintings.
Christopher Wood was Britain's leading writer and broadcaster on the subject of Victorian art. For thirteen years he worked for the London auction house Christie's, becoming director of nineteenth-century paintings.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 15, 2022
What a glorious biography. Wood’s book is well-researched, thoughtful, at times amusing, but always deeply informative.
The book covers Frith’s evolution as a painter, documents the vast array of friends Frith had from all walks of life, and condenses Frith’s own rather rambling autobiography of reminisces and anecdotes in a coherent account of Frith’s life. To augment the biography Wood includes a comprehensive collection of reproductions of Frith’s paintings in both black and white and colour.
A comprehensive series of notes follow each chapter and a detailed Bibliography of Primary Sources, Manuscripts and Published material is also included along with Secondary Sources. The Index is thorough and very helpful if one needs to flip back and forth during the reading of the text.
All in all, if you want to learn about one of the great Victorian artists this is an invaluable source.
The book covers Frith’s evolution as a painter, documents the vast array of friends Frith had from all walks of life, and condenses Frith’s own rather rambling autobiography of reminisces and anecdotes in a coherent account of Frith’s life. To augment the biography Wood includes a comprehensive collection of reproductions of Frith’s paintings in both black and white and colour.
A comprehensive series of notes follow each chapter and a detailed Bibliography of Primary Sources, Manuscripts and Published material is also included along with Secondary Sources. The Index is thorough and very helpful if one needs to flip back and forth during the reading of the text.
All in all, if you want to learn about one of the great Victorian artists this is an invaluable source.
Displaying 1 of 1 review