My Autobiography and Reminiscences

The most celebrated Victorian narrative painter exchanges palette for pen in this popular three-volume autobiography, first published in 1887–8.

William Powell Frith (Author)

9781108051811, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 28 June 2012

404 pages, 1 b/w illus.
21.6 x 14 x 2.3 cm, 0.51 kg

The celebrated Victorian narrative painter William Powell Frith (1819–1909) was a born raconteur. His two-volume autobiography of 1887 ran to three editions in the same year. The third edition is reissued here, together with its supplementary volume of 1888. Frith was an ideal commentator on his age. He never lost his early interest in literary and historical subjects, and moved in the highest artistic and literary circles. Yet he also saw himself as a man of the people. His most famous works were his 'modern-life' panoramas, Ramsgate Sands (1854), Derby Day (1858) and The Railway Station (1862). Discussing such projects, he reflects on everything from costume to portraiture, art dealers to female artists, and even picture frames. Volume 1 covers his childhood, training, friendships with Dickens and others, and the phenomenal success of his first crowd scenes, up to and including The Marriage of the Prince of Wales (1865).

1. Early days
2. My future destiny discussed
3. My career determined
4. The school of art
5. The life school
6. Practice in portrait-painting
7. 'Posting' from Harrogate to London
8. First attempts at subject-pictures
9. My first success
10. Elected an associate
11. The Old English Merrymaking
12. Dinner-party at Lord Northwick's
13. On subjects
14. Picture-seeing in Belgium and Holland
15. Service of art in detection of crime
16. The Coming of Age
17. Subjects from Goldsmith, Smollett, and Molière
18. The hanging committee
19. Hanging reminiscences
20. Ramsgate Sands
21. The Derby Day
22. Portrait of Charles Dickens
23. Success of The Railway Station
24. The Marriage of the Prince of Wales
25. The great actors of my youth.

Subject Areas: The arts: general issues [AB]