Frank Brangwyn (b. Bruges, 13 May 1867: d. Ditchling, Sussex, 11 June 1956) was a British painter, printmaker, draughtsman, and designer, the son of a Welsh architect who specialised in church furnishings, and who was working in Belgium at the time of Frank’s birth. Between 1882–84 he served an apprenticeship with William Morris, and like his master he was active in a variety of fields. He was an Official War Artist during the First World War, and was considered one of the finest draughtsmen of the day; a skilful etcher and lithographer, who also made designs for a great range of objects (furniture, textiles, ceramics, glassware, and jewellery) however, he became best known for his murals. His most famous undertaking in this field was a series of large panels on the theme of the British empire, commissioned by the House of Lords.
All images © Estate of Sir Frank William Brangwyn.
This is part 6 of a 10-part series on the works of Frank Brangwyn:
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| 1919 People viewing a Mastadon skeleton black crayon on white paper 25 x 35.5 cm Danum Gallery, Library and Museum, Doncaster, UK |
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| 1919 Ruins of War Series Dixmude, Ruins lithograph on cream wove paper 46.8 x 65.4 cm Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| 1919 Ruins of War Series Church of St. Martin, Ypres lithograph on paper 45.5 x 66 cm Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| 1919 Ruins of War Series Canadians Entering Cambrai lithograph on paper 43.8 x 66 cm (image) Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| 1919 Ruins of War Series Arrass ink on wove paper 47.2 x 61.5 cm National Gallery of Canada, Ottowa |
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| 1919 The Statue lithograph on paper 29 x 28 cm |
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| 1919 The Market Stall oil on canvas 146 x 160 cm Royal Academy of Arts, London |
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| 1919 Sister Ursula, Bruges woodcut on paper 26.2 x 27.2 cm |
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| c1919 Barge on the Canal de Damme, Bruges colour woodcut print on paper 10.7 x 24.1 cm V&A Museum, London |
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| 1920 The Beer Shop etching on paper 53.5 x 38.2 cm Christchurch Art Gallery, New Zealand |
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| 1920 Portrait of Count Albert de Belleroche wood engraving on paper 38.7 x 43 cm (image) |
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| 1920 Billingsgate Fish Porters etching on paper 38.1 x 51.9 cm (sheet) Royal Museums, Greenwich, London |
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| 1920-21 The Entombment, study for a stained glass window red, black and white chalk on wove paper 72 x 72 cm Royal Academy of Arts, London |
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| 1920-21 The Entombment, study for a stained glass window black and white chalk on buff wove paper c.71 x 84 cm Royal Academy of Arts, London |
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| 1920-22 Jesus meets his Mother, drawing for a Station of the Cross charcoal, brown chalk and crayon on wove paper 75 x 109.5 cm Royal Academy of Arts, London |
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| c1920-24 Jesus falls for the second time charcoal and red chalk on buff wove paper 74.7 x c.104.5 cm Royal Academy of Arts, London |
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| c1920 The Galleon marquetry 72 x 75 cm |
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| c1920 Italian town marquetry panel inlaid woods in a carved frame 96 x 77.5 cm V&A Museum, London |
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| c1920 Female study conte crayon on paper 50.8 x 38.1 |
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| c1920 Chainmakers oil on canvas (size not given) William Morris Gallery, London |
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| early 1920s? The Deposition charcoal and red chalk on wove paper 75.2 x 130 cm Royal Academy of Arts, London |
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| c1920s St. Veronica black, white and brown chalk on blue wove paper 76.6 x 57.5 cm Royal Academy of Arts, London |
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| c1920s-30s Jesus falls below the Cross black and red chalk on wove paper 73.5 x 102 cm Royal Academy of Arts, London |
1921 The Chairing of Edmund Burke in 1774
This painting is a small-scale sketch for an extremely large version painted as part of a decorative scheme of scenes from Bristol’s history for the Grand Council Chamber of the Old Council House, Bristol.
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| 1921 The Chairing of Edmund Burke in 1774 oil on panel 54.3 x 44.8 cm Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, UK* |
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| 1921 The Bridge, Subiano oil on canvas 64.5 x 80.5 cm Birmingham Museums Trust, UK |
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| 1921 Ditchling (East Sussex) etching on paper 39.3 x 51 cm Christchurch Art Gallery, New Zealand |
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| 1921 Buttress of the Pont Neuf etching on paper 90.2 x 56.4 cm V&A Museum, London |
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| 1923 Via Dolorosa etching on paper 37.8 x 35.3 cm |
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| 1923 Verger sanguine study on paper 43,2 x 30.5 cm |
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| 1923 The Rabbis etching on paper 32.7 x 43 cm |
1923 St Martin’s Bridge, Toledo
Spanning the Tajo River, the St Martin’s bridge leads to the town of Toledo in central Spain. Frank Brangwyn was fascinated by the dramatic appeal of ancient Roman bridges and he etched many throughout Europe. This etching was shown at the ‘New Zealand South Seas Exhibition’, held in Dunedin in 1925/1926.
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| 1923 St Martin’s Bridge, Toledo etching on paper 65.5 x 75.7 cm Christchurch Art Gallery, New Zealand |
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| 1923 Return from the Hunt etching on paper 35.5 x 38 cm |
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| 1923 Arch of the Pont Neuf, Paris etching on wove paper 55 x 33.8 cm (plate) |
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| 1924 Two old Beggars lithograph on paper 36 x 28 cm |
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| 1924 Scotland East Coast Route: LNER Railway colour lithograph poster 153 x 100 cm |
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| 1924 Porta Capua, Naples etching, drypoint, plate-tone and spit-biting 15.1 x 14.7 cm National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne |
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| 1924 Ponte Rotto, Rome etching on paper 53 x 71 cm |
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| 1924 Old bridge, Hankow drypoint, plate-tone and spit-biting 17.4 x 14.9 cm (image) National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne |
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| 1924 La Porta Capua etching, sandpaper ground on cream wove paper 44.2 x 34.3 cm Queensland Art Galley of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia |
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| 1924 Gate of St Vincent, Avila etching on paper 19.6 x 17.3 cm Christchurch Art Gallery, New Zealand |
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| 1924 Enrico Canziani oil on cardboard 50 x 63.5 cm Birmingham Museums Trust, UK |
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| c1924 Workmen oil on board 53.4 x 70.5 cm |
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| c1924 Study for the Empire panels red chalk on soft white machine-wove paper 42.3 x 40 cm Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia |
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| c1924 Man Drilling Marble ink on paper 24 x 33 cm |
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| c1925 From my window at Ditchling oil on board 66 x 73.6 cm Jerwood Collection |
1925-28 A Tank in Action
Brangwyn had Welsh parents and his work was much appreciated in Wales. This painting is one of several war scenes from the rejected first scheme for the Royal Gallery in Westminster Palace. These decorations were commissioned by Lord Iveagh as a memorial to peers and their relatives killed in the First World War. In 1927–1933 the artist painted a second scheme illustrating the British Empire which was also rejected and subsequently installed in the Brangwyn Hall, a Swansea Guildhall.
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| 1925-28 A Tank in Action oil on canvas 366 x 376 cm National Museum Cardiff, UK |
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| 1925 A romantic landscape etching and drypoint on blue-green chine collé 15 x 23.5 cm National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne |
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| 1926 Old Bridge, Pavia drypoint etching on pale cream wove paper 35 x 55.5 cm (plate) |
