Frank Dicksee

Abstract

Frank Dicksee was born at a time when the first wave of Pre-Raphaelitism was beginning to make its presence felt in Britain and he inherited the romantic spirit of the movement that had been founded only a stone's throw from his childhood home. After early success with his painting of unrequited love, 'Harmony', he rose to be one of the most popular artists of the late 19th-century, painting in a sumptuous and dramatic style. Dicksee's family was a veritable dynasty of artists but it is Frank who is best known and loved today for his Pre-Raphaelite inspired subjects. He enrolled in the Royal Academy in 1870 and quickly achieved success, elected to the Academy in 1891 and became President of the Royal Academy in 1924. During 15 years of research, the author has located most of Dicksee's paintings and has written a full history of his life and works. He includes a catalogue raisonnee and illustrates almost 300 pictures, many of which are previously unpublished.