Frank Paton
Encyclopedia
Frank Paton was an English artist of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, best known for his paintings of animals and scenes of rural life. He was a successful artist during his lifetime and could even count Queen Victoria
as an admirer of his work. His most famous compositions, "Fairest of Them All" and "Puss in Boots" (1880), have adorned many a wall in the form of plates and posters. In addition, his series of printed Christmas cards published between 1880 and 1909 have become an affordable way for those interested in Paton's art to begin a collection.
, London
, England
. His parents were James Paton and Mary Ann Paton (née Ross) and he was the youngest of their seven children. Although Stepney, in the East End of London
, was a stronghold for the Paton family, Frank Paton grew up in and around Gravesend
, Kent
as his father was a maritime pilot
(Gravesend, at the mouth of the river Thames
, was a pilots' station for the port of London
).
Unlike his brothers, the majority of whom entered the Merchant Navy, Frank Paton showed an early talent for drawing animals and was allowed to follow his artistic bent. His first known exhibition was at the age of sixteen, the piece being a portrait of a German peasant girl. Family rumour has it that Paton briefly spent time in France
working in stained glass before being recalled by his father. It is believed that he then travelled to, and made a living in, Australia
. Paton had relatives in Australia - an Uncle and Aunt had emigrated there from London in the 1850s and settled in Williamstown, Victoria
- so this is plausible and Australian immigration records of the time show that a Frank Paton, aged 19, an unassisted passenger on the "Shannon" from London, arrived in Melbourne
in September 1875.
If Paton did spend time in Australia then it is unclear for how long. What is certain, however, is that he was in England during 1878 as this was the year that his painting "You Are No Chicken" - a modest sized oil on panel featuring two chicks staring at a frog - was accepted by the Royal Academy
for exhibition. It was to be a turning point in the young artist's career as the work was purchased by Edward Ernest Leggatt. Although only the same age as Paton, Leggatt was already running a print and art dealership from a Fenchurch Street
address in London. You Are No Chicken was engraved in mezzotint
by J B Pratt in 1880. Its commercial success cemented a lifelong association with Leggatt, who became the main publisher of Frank Paton's work.
In April 1881 Frank Paton married Mary Sophia Edwards (1852–1929), with the artist Basil Holmes (c.1825 - 1902) bearing witness to the union. Mary, known as 'Marian' within the family, was from Winterborne Houghton
in Dorset
. She was brought up from an early age by Basil Holmes and his wife Lydia, who was Mary's maternal aunt. Most likely under the tutorage of Basil Holmes, Mary became a talented, amateur artist in her own right as is evident from a pair of etchings by her own hand: "Old Inn Chigwell" and "A Glade near Woodford".
After marrying, Frank Paton mainly lived in rural communities in Kent and in Essex
. He divided his time between London and the countryside, accepting commissions for animal portraits from their owners. He was a good family man and raised four sons and three daughters with his wife. Of these, his second eldest son Basil and youngest daughter Dorothy showed considerable artistic talent (the latter becoming a commercial artist and occasionally exhibiting works in public).
Although never a member of the Royal Academy, a total of 20 works by Paton were exhibited at their annual selling exhibition between the years 1878 and 1890. However, Frank Paton is perhaps most widely known for his series of etched Christmas cards published annually by Edward Ernest Leggatt from 1880 until Paton's death in 1909. They were intended to be a cut above the average Christmas card and sold for half a guinea each. Their format became quite formulaic over the years. A central subject reflecting the title of the print was usually complemented by a series of often humorous sketches around its border. A number of the prints would be sent from the printers to be signed in pencil by Paton.
From 1890 Frank Paton no longer exhibited at the Royal Academy following a dispute with the organisers. His reputation firmly established, it was of little consequence and the artist continued to work until his final days. At the time of his death Paton was living in Walton-on-the-Naze
, Essex. During the summer of 1909 the family had moved to a new house, which was undergoing alterations and repairs. Paton spent the day of November 12, 1909 discussing and supervising the works with his builder and then in the evening, at around 11.30, suffered a heart attack. Although a doctor was called, Frank Paton died from heart failure at around 5.30 am on November 13, 1909 just 10 days short of his 54th birthday. In 1919 Edward E. Leggatt donated a full set of copies of Frank Paton's prints to the British Museum
. In the inside cover of the Museum's portfolio of the artist is an anonymous tribute to Paton, written shortly after his death. Frank Paton is described as, "A kindly, modest, unassuming man with a rare fund of humour, which is reflected in his etchings. He leaves a large circle of friends and admirers to mourn his untimely and terribly sudden death." Fittingly, Paton's last ever Christmas card was called "The End of the Day".
1881 Xmas card
1882 Xmas card
1883 Xmas card
1884 Cheapside - E.E. Leggatt's New Shop
1884 Xmas card
1885 Xmas card
1886 Meeting of Unemployed
1887 Not at Home
1888 Round and Ready
1889 The Good Old Days
1890 Every Dog Has Its Day
1891 Notice To Quit
1892 The Pleasures of Hope
1893 Out of the Hunt
1894 Royal and Ancient (St Andrews)
1895 The Ordeal by Fire
1896 Recollections of a Record Reign
1897 Gone Away
1898 Our Grandfathers' Hobbies
1899 British Interests
1900 Coming Events Cast their Shadows Before
1901 Dy’e Ken John Peel
1902 A Deep Dream of Peace (Leigh Hunt)
1904 Hunting Incidents
1905 Are You There
1906 Gun Fire "A Good Start"
1907 Eight Above the Line
1908 The World Went Very Well Then (Xmas)
1909 The End of the Day (signed on the day he died)
From a book of Christmas Cards by Frank Paton, held at the British Museum.
After G. S . Kilburne
After C. E. Brock
Fishing and Shooting, after Charles Whymper
After N. H. Baird
After J Yates Carrington
After A. A. Davis
After A. W. Holder
After L. B. Hurt
After A. Thornton
After S. E. Waller
From the British Museum's portfolio of Frank Paton.
1880 Puss in boots (475)
1881 Winter quarters (570); Babes in "The Wood" (958)
1882 Little Milksops (461); "Witness my act and deed" (1495); Both Parent and Guardian (1504)
1883 England, Scotland, and Ireland - bull dog, collie, and pure Irish terrier (614); The cat's-cradle (822)
1884 More free than welcome (427); Rough and ready (441); Their first lesson (692)
1886 Opening the ball (93); Greed (1419); Tree'd (1429)
1887 Not at home (314)
1888 A happy family(231); Ploughing (614)
1890 Washing day (1080); A happy family (1095)
Information provided by the Royal Academy.
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
as an admirer of his work. His most famous compositions, "Fairest of Them All" and "Puss in Boots" (1880), have adorned many a wall in the form of plates and posters. In addition, his series of printed Christmas cards published between 1880 and 1909 have become an affordable way for those interested in Paton's art to begin a collection.
Biography
Frank Paton was born on November 23, 1855 in StepneyStepney
Stepney is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in London's East End that grew out of a medieval village around St Dunstan's church and the 15th century ribbon development of Mile End Road...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. His parents were James Paton and Mary Ann Paton (née Ross) and he was the youngest of their seven children. Although Stepney, in the East End of London
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
, was a stronghold for the Paton family, Frank Paton grew up in and around Gravesend
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
as his father was a maritime pilot
Maritime pilot
A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....
(Gravesend, at the mouth of the river Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, was a pilots' station for the port of London
Port of London
The Port of London lies along the banks of the River Thames from London, England to the North Sea. Once the largest port in the world, it is currently the United Kingdom's second largest port, after Grimsby & Immingham...
).
Unlike his brothers, the majority of whom entered the Merchant Navy, Frank Paton showed an early talent for drawing animals and was allowed to follow his artistic bent. His first known exhibition was at the age of sixteen, the piece being a portrait of a German peasant girl. Family rumour has it that Paton briefly spent time in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
working in stained glass before being recalled by his father. It is believed that he then travelled to, and made a living in, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Paton had relatives in Australia - an Uncle and Aunt had emigrated there from London in the 1850s and settled in Williamstown, Victoria
Williamstown, Victoria
Williamstown is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay. At the 2006 Census, Williamstown had a population of 12,733....
- so this is plausible and Australian immigration records of the time show that a Frank Paton, aged 19, an unassisted passenger on the "Shannon" from London, arrived in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in September 1875.
If Paton did spend time in Australia then it is unclear for how long. What is certain, however, is that he was in England during 1878 as this was the year that his painting "You Are No Chicken" - a modest sized oil on panel featuring two chicks staring at a frog - was accepted by the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
for exhibition. It was to be a turning point in the young artist's career as the work was purchased by Edward Ernest Leggatt. Although only the same age as Paton, Leggatt was already running a print and art dealership from a Fenchurch Street
Fenchurch Street
Fenchurch Street is a street in the City of London home to a number of shops, pubs and offices. It links Aldgate at its eastern end with Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street to the west. To the south of Fenchurch Street and towards its eastern end is Fenchurch Street railway station...
address in London. You Are No Chicken was engraved in mezzotint
Mezzotint
Mezzotint is a printmaking process of the intaglio family, technically a drypoint method. It was the first tonal method to be used, enabling half-tones to be produced without using line- or dot-based techniques like hatching, cross-hatching or stipple...
by J B Pratt in 1880. Its commercial success cemented a lifelong association with Leggatt, who became the main publisher of Frank Paton's work.
In April 1881 Frank Paton married Mary Sophia Edwards (1852–1929), with the artist Basil Holmes (c.1825 - 1902) bearing witness to the union. Mary, known as 'Marian' within the family, was from Winterborne Houghton
Winterborne Houghton
Winterborne Houghton is a village in north Dorset, England. It is situated in a winterbourne valley on the Dorset Downs, five miles south west of Blandford Forum...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. She was brought up from an early age by Basil Holmes and his wife Lydia, who was Mary's maternal aunt. Most likely under the tutorage of Basil Holmes, Mary became a talented, amateur artist in her own right as is evident from a pair of etchings by her own hand: "Old Inn Chigwell" and "A Glade near Woodford".
After marrying, Frank Paton mainly lived in rural communities in Kent and in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. He divided his time between London and the countryside, accepting commissions for animal portraits from their owners. He was a good family man and raised four sons and three daughters with his wife. Of these, his second eldest son Basil and youngest daughter Dorothy showed considerable artistic talent (the latter becoming a commercial artist and occasionally exhibiting works in public).
Although never a member of the Royal Academy, a total of 20 works by Paton were exhibited at their annual selling exhibition between the years 1878 and 1890. However, Frank Paton is perhaps most widely known for his series of etched Christmas cards published annually by Edward Ernest Leggatt from 1880 until Paton's death in 1909. They were intended to be a cut above the average Christmas card and sold for half a guinea each. Their format became quite formulaic over the years. A central subject reflecting the title of the print was usually complemented by a series of often humorous sketches around its border. A number of the prints would be sent from the printers to be signed in pencil by Paton.
From 1890 Frank Paton no longer exhibited at the Royal Academy following a dispute with the organisers. His reputation firmly established, it was of little consequence and the artist continued to work until his final days. At the time of his death Paton was living in Walton-on-the-Naze
Walton-on-the-Naze
Walton-on-the-Naze is a small town in Essex, England, on the North Sea coast in the Tendring district. It is north of Clacton and south of the port of Harwich. It abuts Frinton-on-Sea to the south, and is part of the parish of Frinton and Walton. It is a resort town, with a permanent population of...
, Essex. During the summer of 1909 the family had moved to a new house, which was undergoing alterations and repairs. Paton spent the day of November 12, 1909 discussing and supervising the works with his builder and then in the evening, at around 11.30, suffered a heart attack. Although a doctor was called, Frank Paton died from heart failure at around 5.30 am on November 13, 1909 just 10 days short of his 54th birthday. In 1919 Edward E. Leggatt donated a full set of copies of Frank Paton's prints to the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
. In the inside cover of the Museum's portfolio of the artist is an anonymous tribute to Paton, written shortly after his death. Frank Paton is described as, "A kindly, modest, unassuming man with a rare fund of humour, which is reflected in his etchings. He leaves a large circle of friends and admirers to mourn his untimely and terribly sudden death." Fittingly, Paton's last ever Christmas card was called "The End of the Day".
Christmas cards by Frank Paton
1880 Xmas card1881 Xmas card
1882 Xmas card
1883 Xmas card
1884 Cheapside - E.E. Leggatt's New Shop
1884 Xmas card
1885 Xmas card
1886 Meeting of Unemployed
1887 Not at Home
1888 Round and Ready
1889 The Good Old Days
1890 Every Dog Has Its Day
1891 Notice To Quit
1892 The Pleasures of Hope
1893 Out of the Hunt
1894 Royal and Ancient (St Andrews)
1895 The Ordeal by Fire
1896 Recollections of a Record Reign
1897 Gone Away
1898 Our Grandfathers' Hobbies
1899 British Interests
1900 Coming Events Cast their Shadows Before
1901 Dy’e Ken John Peel
1902 A Deep Dream of Peace (Leigh Hunt)
1904 Hunting Incidents
1905 Are You There
1906 Gun Fire "A Good Start"
1907 Eight Above the Line
1908 The World Went Very Well Then (Xmas)
1909 The End of the Day (signed on the day he died)
From a book of Christmas Cards by Frank Paton, held at the British Museum.
Original etchings by Frank Paton
After Thomas BlinksAfter G. S . Kilburne
After C. E. Brock
Fishing and Shooting, after Charles Whymper
After N. H. Baird
After J Yates Carrington
After A. A. Davis
After A. W. Holder
After L. B. Hurt
After A. Thornton
After S. E. Waller
From the British Museum's portfolio of Frank Paton.
Works exhibited by the Royal Academy
1878 "You are no chicken" (139)1880 Puss in boots (475)
1881 Winter quarters (570); Babes in "The Wood" (958)
1882 Little Milksops (461); "Witness my act and deed" (1495); Both Parent and Guardian (1504)
1883 England, Scotland, and Ireland - bull dog, collie, and pure Irish terrier (614); The cat's-cradle (822)
1884 More free than welcome (427); Rough and ready (441); Their first lesson (692)
1886 Opening the ball (93); Greed (1419); Tree'd (1429)
1887 Not at home (314)
1888 A happy family(231); Ploughing (614)
1890 Washing day (1080); A happy family (1095)
Information provided by the Royal Academy.