Frances Macdonald MacNair (24 August 1873 – 12 December 1921) was a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

artist whose design work was a prominent feature of the Modern Style (British Art Nouveau style) during the 1890s.

Biography

The sister of artist-designer Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, she was born in Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent, and moved to

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

with her family in 1890. Both sisters enrolled in painting classes at the

Glasgow School of Art The Glasgow School of Art (GSA; gd, Sgoil-ealain Ghlaschu) is a higher education art school based in Glasgow, Scotland, offering undergraduate degrees, post-graduate awards (both taught and research-led), and PhDs in architecture, fine art, and ...

in 1891, where they met the young architects Charles Rennie Mackintosh and

Herbert MacNair James Herbert MacNair (23 December 1868 – 22 April 1955), was a Scottish artist, designer and teacher whose work contributed to the development of the Modern Style (British Art Nouveau style) during the 1890s. Early life Born in Glasgo ...

. Frances went on to marry MacNair in 1899, and Margaret married Mackintosh in 1900. After they met, they exhibited together in a 'School of Art Club' exhibition and due to their similar stylistic approach came to be referred to as "The Four". In the mid-1890s the sisters left the School to set up an independent studio together. They collaborated on graphics, textile designs, book illustrations and metalwork, developing a distinctive style influenced by

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in u ...

, symbolism and Celtic imagery. Frances also produced a wide variety of other artistic work, including

embroidery Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen ...

, metalwork panels and water colour paintings. Like her sister, she was influenced by the work of

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual art of the Romantic Age. ...

and

Aubrey Beardsley Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (21 August 187216 March 1898) was an English illustrator and author. His black ink drawings were influenced by Japanese woodcuts, and depicted the grotesque, the decadent, and the erotic. He was a leading figure in the ...

and this is reflected in her use of elongated figures and linear elements. The sisters exhibited in London,

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

and

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

. In 1899 she married MacNair and joined him in Liverpool where he was teaching at the School of Architecture and Applied Art. The couple painted watercolours and designed interiors, exhibiting a Writing Room at the International Exhibition of Modern Art in Turin, and Frances began teaching. They also designed the interiors of their own home at 54 Oxford Street. In the early 1900s they also exhibited in Liverpool, London, Paris, Venice, Vienna and Dresden. The closure of the School in 1905, and the loss of the MacNair family wealth through a business failure, led to a slow decline in their careers, and they returned to Glasgow in 1909. In the years that followed, Frances painted a series of symbolist watercolours addressing the choices facing women, such as marriage and motherhood. Frances and Herbert had a son, Sylvan, born in June 1900 and who later emigrated to Rhodesia. Frances Macdonald, Sleeping Princess

Frances' achievements are less well known than those of her sister, due in part to her departure from Glasgow, but also because her husband destroyed many of her works after her death. Both sisters works were also frequently overshadowed by the achievements of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Frances died in Glasgow in 1921. Much of her work that remains is held by the

Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery The Hunterian is a complex of museums located in and operated by the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland. It is the oldest museum in Scotland. It covers the Hunterian Museum, the Hunterian Art Gallery, the Mackintosh House, the Zoology M ...

, and in the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.

Gallery

File:Frances MacDonald - A Paradox 1905.jpg, File:Frances MacDonald - The Choice 1909.jpg, File:Frances MacDonald - Woman Standing Behind The Sun.jpg, File:Springfm.jpg, File:Frances MacDonald - The Sleeping Princess 1910.jpg,

References

External links

Biography at the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society

Works by Frances Macdonald in the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery collections

* ttp://brettaronowitz.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/rosegallery61.pdf Frances Macdonald
"Doves and dreams" exhibition, Liverpool 2007
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonald, Frances 1873 births 1921 deaths 20th-century Scottish painters 20th-century Scottish women artists Alumni of the Glasgow School of Art Glasgow School People from Tipton Scottish women painters

Biography

Gallery

Further reading

References

External links