Did you know that Picasso is the most prolific artist in history? Well over 50,000 works are attributed to him, including paintings, sculptures, book illustrations, and more. Many artists pale in comparison, but Sir Frank Brangwyn was incredibly prolific in his own right. The Belgian born Welsh artist has more than 12,000 works to his name. We’re very proud to have some of them available at Charter Prints.
Diverse works
One of the most amazing things about Brangwyn is the number of different artistic fields he has works in. He did paintings, murals, lithograph and woodcut printing, furniture, stained glass, and more. The diversity shows he was always willing to try different types of art and also experiment with new techniques.
Interestingly, Brangwyn was largely self taught and did not have formal artistic education. He did learn from a number of notable sources though. Firstly, his father, architect and artist William Curtis Brangwyn, likely taught him.
Sir Frank Brangwyn had contact with celebrated progressive designer and architect Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo thanks to his regular visits to South Kensington Museum (now the V&A). Because of this relationship, he was able to secure an apprenticeship with William Morris, learning glazing, embroidery, and wallpaper work.
The next notable name is art dealer Siegfried Bing. While he did not teach Brangwyn, he did encourage him to look at other artistic avenues, including posters, tapestries, and carpet.
Collaboration with Japanese print maker Urushibara Mokuchu was also noteworthy. Together they produced numerous woodblock prints. It ultimately saw an influential industrial magnate from Japan become Brangwyn’s patron.
Influence
In his liftime, Sir Frank Brangwyn was incredibly famous. His work, and later donations of it, helped him to win a number of awards and honours.
Famously, Brangwyn had the honour of displaying a painting at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition at just 17 years old. Then, in 1891, one of his most famous pieces, Funeral At Sea, won a medal at the Paris Salon.
Today, Brangwyn’s work features in many notable collections. The Royal Academy has several pieces, including sketches, oil paintings, ink prints, and more. The Tate also has prints and drawings. Museum Arentshuis in Bruges had his oeuvre, with over 400 pieces donated by Brangwyn in 1936. The donation got him a rare honour; the Citoyen d’Honneur de Bruges.
Add a Sir Frank Brangwyn original to your collection
Charter Prints is incredibly proud to have a number of works by Brangwyn available to purchase. They include etchings, lithographs, and more. You can have a look at them on our website – we’ve included details of the conditions as well as sizes where possible.
If you find a piece you want to add to your collection, please contact us for details.