Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys (born Antonio Frederic Augustus Sands; 1 May 1829 – 25 June 1904), usually known as Frederick Sandys, was a British painter, illustrator, and draughtsman, associated with the Pre-Raphaelites. He was also associated with the Norwich School of painters.

Biography

Artistic studies

Frederick Sandys was born in

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

,Antonio Fredric Augustus Sands in "Parish registers for St. Stephen's Church, Norwich", ''FamilySearch''
Antonio Fredric Augustus Sands
. and received his earliest lessons in art from his father, Anthony Sands, who was himself a painter. His early studies show that he had a natural gift for careful and beautiful drawing. He was educated at

Norwich School Norwich School (formally King Edward VI Grammar School, Norwich) is a private selective day school in the close of Norwich Cathedral, Norwich. Among the oldest schools in the United Kingdom, it has a traceable history to 1096 as an episcop ...

and later attended the Norwich School of Design in 1846. In the same and next year his talent was recognized by the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

Personal relationships

Sandys married Georgiana Creed, but this marriage only lasted three years, although they never divorced. He had a long affair with the Romany woman Keomi Gray, who sat as a model both for him and

Dante Gabriel Rossetti Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti (12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882), generally known as Dante Gabriel Rossetti ( ; ), was an English poet, illustrator, painter, translator, and member of the Rossetti family. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brother ...

( The Beloved), and perhaps also for

Simeon Solomon Simeon Solomon (9 October 1840 – 14 August 1905) was a British painter associated with the Pre-Raphaelites who was noted for his depictions of Jewish life and same-sex desire. His career was cut short as a result of public scandal following h ...

. He and Gray had two daughters and two sons. In 1862 Sandys met actress Mary Emma Jones, known as Miss Clive, when she modeled for ''The Magdalen'', now owned by the Norwich Castle Museum. A relationship developed between the two; he became devoted to her, taking her as his common-law wife for the rest of his life. She gave birth to a large number of children, 10 of whom were raised under the name of Neville and survived after Sandys's death. She appears in paintings such as Sandys's '' Love's Shadow'' and his 1867 work ''Proud Maisie'', which was inspired by Mary--so much so that he made at least 11 versions by 1904. Sandys influenced his younger sister, Emma Sandys (1841–1877), whose works were mainly portraits of children and of young women, often in period or medieval clothing. He died in

Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...

in west London in 1904.

Works

Early work

Sandys displayed great skills as a draughtsman, achieving recognition with his print ''The Nightmare'' (1857), parodying

John Everett Millais Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet ( , ; 8 June 1829 – 13 August 1896) was an English painter and illustrator who was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was a child prodigy who, aged eleven, became the youngest s ...

's ''Sir Isumbras at the Ford''. The caricaturist turned the horse of Sir Isumbras into a laughing donkey labelled "J. R., Oxon.", understood as a reference to

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English polymath a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, Critique of politic ...

. Upon the donkey was seated Millais himself, in the character of the knight, with

Rossetti Rossetti may refer to: * Biagio Rossetti (c. 1447–1516), architect and urbanist from Ferrara, the first to use modern methods * Carlo Rossetti (1614–1681), Italian cardinal, nobleman * Cezaro Rossetti (1901–1950), Scottish Esperanto writer ...

and Holman Hunt replacing the two children, one before and one behind. The caricature, produced using the new autographic lithographic process, caused a lot of talk about who the artist might be and ultimately introduced Sandys to the London art community. Rossetti and Sandys became close friends, and from May 1866 to July 1867, Sandys lived with Rossetti at 16, Cheyne Walk, Chelsea. Sandys's works were profoundly influenced by those of Rossetti. He focused mainly on mythological subjects and portraits.

Drawings and illustration

Wood-engravings
Some of the first introductions to Pre-Raphaelite teachings emerged in magazines, such as '' Once a Week'', the ''

Cornhill Magazine ''The Cornhill Magazine'' (1860–1975) was a monthly Victorian literature, Victorian magazine and literary journal named after the street address of the founding publisher Smith, Elder & Co. at 65 Cornhill, London, Cornhill in London.Laurel ...

'', ''

Good Words ''Good Words'' was a 19th-century monthly periodical established in Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consist ...

'' and ''Sunday Magazine''. Sandys began drawing in the 1860s for '' Once a Week'', the ''

'', ''

'' and other periodicals, his work influenced by

Albrecht Dürer Albrecht Dürer ( , ;; 21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528),Müller, Peter O. (1993) ''Substantiv-Derivation in Den Schriften Albrecht Dürers'', Walter de Gruyter. . sometimes spelled in English as Durer or Duerer, was a German painter, Old master prin ...

Ambrosius Holbein Ambrosius Holbein (c. 1494 – c. 1519) was a German and later a Switzerland, Swiss artist in painting, drawing, and printmaking. He was the elder brother, by about three years, of Hans Holbein the Younger, but he appears to have died in his mid- ...

, and Alfred Rethel. Sandys made a total of 26 between 1859 and 1866, but each was a fine representation of this genre, faithfully engraved by professional wood-engravers, including the Dalziel brothers and Joseph Swain, and they are worthy of the collector's portfolio. For the engravers to be successful in carving the intricate illustrations onto wood, they needed to start with a detailed, clear design from the artist. Sandys had an eye and talent for exacting detail, an intention to accurately reflect the subject, revealed in the quality of his works, equally impressive for its technical detail as for its imaginative point of view. Sandys's ''The Death of King Warwulf'' is an example of his ability to create drawings that translated well for the engravings. Swirling shapes of flames, the curve of the boat, its sail and the king's clothes that surround him create a feeling of movement. The focal point is the king's bowed head. His last woodcut was on the subject of ''Danaë in the Brazen Chamber''. It was engraved by Swain for ''Once A Week'' but suppressed by the publication's editor, despite Sandys having the support of the magazine's publishers, on the grounds that it was too sensuous. He drew only in the magazines. No books illustrated by him can be traced. So his exquisite draughtsmanship has to be sought for in the old bound-up periodical volumes which are now hunted by collectors, or in publications such as ''Dalziels' Bible Gallery'' and the ''Cornhill Gallery'' and books of drawings, with verses attached to them, made to lie upon the drawing-room tables of those who had for the most part no idea of their merits. File:The Death of King Warwulf - Frederick Sandys.jpg, ''The Death of King Warwulf'', 1862 File:Danae in the Brazen Chamber - Frederick Sandys.jpg, ''Danaë in the Brazen Chamber'', wood-engraving, signed by Swain,

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the list of largest art museums, 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 painting ...

File:The Advent of Winter - Frederick Sandys.jpg, ''The Advent of Winter'' Chalk drawings of lettered men
He made a number of chalk drawings of famous men of letters, including

Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (; 6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's ...

, Browning,

Matthew Arnold Matthew Arnold (24 December 1822 – 15 April 1888) was an English poet and cultural critic. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold (academic), Tom Arnold, literary professor, and Willi ...

, and

James Russell Lowell James Russell Lowell (; February 22, 1819 – August 12, 1891) was an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He is associated with the fireside poets, a group of New England writers who were among the first American poets to r ...

. Studies for paintings
''Study for Vivien'' depicts Sandys's lover, Keomi Gray, as Vivien of

's poem ''

Idylls of the King ''Idylls of the King'', published between 1859 and 1885, is a cycle of twelve narrative poems by the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892; Poet Laureate from 1850) which retells the legend of King Arthur, his knights, his love f ...

''. In the poem Vivien is the femme fatale in the story of King Arthur who used her looks to seduce Merlin to learn his secrets. Sandys had previously used tales from King Arthur as inspiration for his work, such as ''King Pelles' Daughter''. He was drawn to stories of women who "seduce, entrap and destroy men, such as

Helen of Troy Helen (), also known as Helen of Troy, or Helen of Sparta, and in Latin as Helena, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believed to have been the daughter of Zeus and Leda (mythology), ...

Morgan Le Fay Morgan le Fay (; Welsh language, Welsh and Cornish language, Cornish: Morgen; with ''le Fay'' being garbled French language, French ''la Fée'', thus meaning 'Morgan the Fairy'), alternatively known as Morgan , Morgain /e Morgant Mor ...

and

Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; ; ) is the daughter of Aeëtes, King Aeëtes of Colchis. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress, an accomplished "wiktionary:φαρμακεία, pharmakeía" (medicinal magic), and is often depicted as a high- ...

." Sandys portrays Vivien as a beautiful, self-assured woman. The apple placed in front of her may refer to the story of Adam and Eve. ''Study for Autumn'', made in 1860, is one of the many studies Sandys made before painting ''Autumn'' and provides evidence of Sandys's skill as a draughtsman. He captures minute details, such as the soldier's uniform and the plants and flowers. The study is much like the finished painting, except that the ginger jar is in the foreground. File:Study for Vivien - Frederick Sandys.jpg, ''Study for Vivien'', black and red chalk, Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery File:Autumn 1860 Frederick Sandys.jpg, ''Study for Autumn'', 1860,

Norwich Castle Norwich Castle is a medieval royal fortification in the city of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk. William the Conqueror (1066–1087) ordered its construction in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest of England. The castle was used as a ...

Museum and Art Gallery File:Spring - 1860 - Frederick Sandys.jpg, ''Study for Spring'', 1860,

Museum and Art Gallery

Paintings

Early in the 1860s he began to exhibit the paintings which set the seal upon his fame. The best known of these are ''Vivien'' (1863), ''

Morgan le Fay Morgan le Fay (; Welsh language, Welsh and Cornish language, Cornish: Morgen; with ''le Fay'' being garbled French language, French ''la Fée'', thus meaning 'Morgan the Fairy'), alternatively known as Morgan , Morgain /e Morgant Mor ...

'' (1864), ''Cassandra'' and ''

'' (1868). Sandys never became a popular painter. He painted little, and the dominant influence upon his art was the influence exercised by lofty conceptions of tragic power. There was in it a sombre intensity and an almost stern beauty which lifted it far above the ideals of the crowd. The ''Scandinavian Sagas'' and ''Le Morte d'Arthur'' gave him subjects after his own heart, and ''The Valkyrie'' and ''

'' represent some of his best work. File:Anthony Frederick Sandys - Queen Eleanor.JPG, '' Queen Eleanor'', 1858, National Museum Cardiff File:Frederick Sandys - King Pelles Daughter.jpg, ''King Pelle's Daughter'', 1861 File:Sandys, Frederick - Morgan le Fay.JPG, ''

'', 1864, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery File:Grace Rose by Frederick Sandys.png, ''Grace Rose'', 1866, Yale Center for British Art File:Love's Shadow - Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys.jpg, '' Love's Shadow'', 1867 File:Helen of Troy - Anthony Frederick Augustus Sandys.jpg, ''Helen of Troy'', 1867,

Walker Art Gallery The Walker Art Gallery is an art gallery in Liverpool, which houses one of the largest art collections in England outside London. It is part of the National Museums Liverpool group. History The Walker Art Gallery's collection dates from 1819 ...

File:Medea-Sandys.jpg, ''

'', 1868, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

References

External links

*
Works by Frederick Sandys
in the Norfolk Museums Collections
Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery's Pre-Raphaelite Online Resource
Large online collection of works by Frederick Sandys

at Artcylopaedia.
Frederick Sandys & the Pre-Raphaelites
at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sandys, Frederick 1829 births 1904 deaths 19th-century English painters English male painters 20th-century British painters English illustrators Pre-Raphaelite painters People educated at Norwich School Alumni of Norwich University of the Arts Artists from Norwich Burials at Brompton Cemetery Pre-Raphaelite illustrators 19th-century English male artists 20th-century British male artists