William Coldstream
Encyclopedia
Sir William Menzies Coldstream (February 28, 1908 – February 18, 1987) was a British realist
painter
and a long standing art teacher.
, northern England
, he grew up in London
and studied at the Slade School of Art, University College London
where he met and married Nancy Sharp
. He co-founded the Euston Road School
with Graham Bell
and others in 1937. He enlisted in the Royal Artillery
at the start of the war but he was appointed a War Artist
in 1943, working in Egypt
and Italy
.
In November 1945, he became a visiting teacher at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts
, and in 1949 he returned to lead the Slade School as Professor of Fine Art. Under his direction the Slade achieved an international reputation for excellence. In 1952 he became a CBE
and was knighted in 1956. Between 1958 and 1971 he was Chairman of the National Advisory Council on Art Education, which published its first report in 1961—called the "Coldstream Report"—outlining the requirements for a new Diploma in Art and Design (Dip.A.D.).
He was also Chairman of the British Film Institute
from 1964 to 1971 (he had worked with John Grierson
in the GPO Film Unit
for a few years in the 1930s). He retired from the Slade School in 1975, and continued to paint until 1984, when his health was in marked decline. He died in the Royal Homeopathic Hospital in London on February 18, 1987.
. The surfaces of Coldstream's paintings carry many small horizontal and vertical markings, where he recorded these coordinates so that they could be verified against reality.
As a result of his painstaking methods, Coldstream worked slowly, often taking scores of sittings over several months to complete a work. His subjects include still-life, landscapes (usually centered on architecture), portraits, and the female nude.
The Tate Gallery
has several of his paintings.
Realism (arts)
Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and a long standing art teacher.
Biography
Born in NorthumberlandNorthumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, northern 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...
, he grew up in 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...
and studied at the Slade School of Art, University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
where he met and married Nancy Sharp
Nancy Spender
Nancy Spender was an English painter.Born Nancy Sharp in Truro, she attended the Slade School of Art, where she met her first husband, William Coldstream, with whom she had two daughters. In the late 1930s she had an affair with Louis MacNeice, illustrating two of his books and partially...
. He co-founded the Euston Road School
Euston Road School
The Euston Road School was a group of English painters, active in London between 1937 and 1939.William Coldstream, Victor Pasmore, Claude Rogers, Maurice Field and Graham Bell set up a School of Drawing and Painting in Euston Road in 1937; other associated artists included Lawrence Gowing, Tom...
with Graham Bell
Graham Bell (artist)
Graham Bell , was an artist and journalist.Painter of portraits, landscapes and still life. Bell first worked in a bank and on a farm before turning to art. He studied at the Durban Art School and held first one-man exhibition at the City Hall in Durban in 1931. Came to England 1931...
and others in 1937. He enlisted in the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
at the start of the war but he was appointed a War Artist
War artist
A war artist depicts some aspect of war through art; this might be a pictorial record or it might commemorate how "war shapes lives." War artists have explored a visual and sensory dimension of war which is often absent in written histories or other accounts of warfare.- Definition and context:A...
in 1943, working in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
In November 1945, he became a visiting teacher at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts
Camberwell College of Arts
Camberwell College of Arts is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, and is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost art and design institutions. It is located in Camberwell, South London, England, with two sites situated at Peckham Road and Wilson Road...
, and in 1949 he returned to lead the Slade School as Professor of Fine Art. Under his direction the Slade achieved an international reputation for excellence. In 1952 he became a CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
and was knighted in 1956. Between 1958 and 1971 he was Chairman of the National Advisory Council on Art Education, which published its first report in 1961—called the "Coldstream Report"—outlining the requirements for a new Diploma in Art and Design (Dip.A.D.).
He was also Chairman of the British Film Institute
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
from 1964 to 1971 (he had worked with John Grierson
John Grierson
John Grierson was a pioneering Scottish documentary maker, often considered the father of British and Canadian documentary film. According to popular myth, in 1926, Grierson coined the term "documentary" to describe a non-fiction film.-Early life:Grierson was born in Deanston, near Doune, Scotland...
in the GPO Film Unit
GPO Film Unit
The GPO Film Unit was a subdivision of the UK General Post Office. The unit was established in 1933, taking on responsibilities of the Empire Marketing Board Film Unit...
for a few years in the 1930s). He retired from the Slade School in 1975, and continued to paint until 1984, when his health was in marked decline. He died in the Royal Homeopathic Hospital in London on February 18, 1987.
Method and works
Coldstream was committed to painting directly from life; he once remarked, "I lose interest unless I let myself be ruled by what I see". His type of realism had its basis in careful measurement, carried out by the following method: standing before the subject to be painted, a brush is held upright at arm's length. With one eye closed, the artist can, by sliding a thumb up or down the brush handle, take the measure of an object or interval. This finding is compared against other objects or intervals, with the brush still kept at arm's length. Informed by such measurements, the artist can paint what the eye sees without the use of conventional perspectivePerspective (graphical)
Perspective in the graphic arts, such as drawing, is an approximate representation, on a flat surface , of an image as it is seen by the eye...
. The surfaces of Coldstream's paintings carry many small horizontal and vertical markings, where he recorded these coordinates so that they could be verified against reality.
As a result of his painstaking methods, Coldstream worked slowly, often taking scores of sittings over several months to complete a work. His subjects include still-life, landscapes (usually centered on architecture), portraits, and the female nude.
The Tate Gallery
Tate Gallery
The Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
has several of his paintings.
Further reading
- Wilson, Colin St.John. (1999) The Artist at Work: On the Working Methods of William Coldstream and Michael Andrews. London: Lund Humphries. ISBN 0853317593