Beresford, Frank: Derby artist painted by Royalty

Frank Beresford: Derby artist painted by royalty

The official painting of the lying-in-state of King George V was the work of the well-known Derby-born artist, Frank Beresford, writes Pat Parkin reports.

A talented and prolific artist whose name has gone down in Derbyshire history, alongside those of Joseph Wright and Frank Townsend, Frank Beresford painted more than 3,000 canvasses over his 60-year long career.

Royalty, world leaders, aristocracy and great military leaders were among his many subjects, but The Princes’ Vigil: 12.15 a.m. January 28, 1936 was Beresford’s most famous work and resulted in his already extensive reputation being recognised around the world.

The picture was unprecedented in capturing the spontaneous display of an Empire’s grief. It showed a vast procession of people filing past the bier as the King’s four sons took their turn of duty, standing between the Guards stationed at each corner of the catafalque.

It was, for Beresford, a day and night task and, he said, he felt greatly moved by the simple dignity of the scene he observed over his 37 consecutive hours at work.

The oil painting was highly acclaimed. It was completed just a few hours before it was to be the centrepiece of the 1936 Royal Academy exhibition at Burlington House, where it attracted thousands of people queuing to see it.

So impressed was Queen Mary, the grieving widow, that she bought it to give to her eldest son on his birthday. At the time, of course, it was not known that Edward VIII’s reign would last only a few months before he abdicated.

In 1952, by which time he was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy and his pictures had become expensive collector’s items, Beresford was given special permission to produce a similar painting following the death of George VI – but the Academy refused to hang it.

He said, at the time, that he loved painting “moments in history” and was bitterly disappointed at the decision.

“Whatever its merits as a work of art, it is a piece of history,” he said.

Later, he painted a third royal lying-in-state when Queen Mary died.

Born in 1881, in Derby, Beresford spent his youth in Belper, where his grandfather was a master nailer and his mother, Louise Beresford, ran a drapery business in Field Lane.

In 1910, there was a fire at the studio he kept above his mother’s shop and paintings, valued at £500 but uninsured, were lost because of water damage.

Frank was interested in art from a very young age and had his first lessons at the age of 11 from a Miss Harrison, of Belper, who charged one shilling and three pence (6½p) an hour. Three years later, he enrolled at Derby School of Art, where he studied until the age of 18.

He started his career as an animal painter, for he was a great lover of the outdoors and, occasionally, rode with the Meynell Hunt and with the Harrington Hounds, at Elvaston.

His first commission, for which he was paid a fee of half a guinea (52½p) by Isaac Beardsley, who farmed near Shottle, was of a prize-winning pig which he said was nearly as big as a donkey.

Beresford moved to London in 1900 where it cost him 25 shillings (£1.25p) to live. Fortunately, the support of a patron helped him survive and get established.

He continued his studies in London and, after a year, entered the Royal Academy School, gaining a British Institute scholarship for a world tour. In the 18 months he was away, he travelled 30,000 miles, painting a variety of subjects. On his return, held a show of his work.

Though he never returned to Belper to live, he kept a close contact with the town, returning whenever he could.

His wife, Daisy Radcliffe Beresford, whom he married in Belper in 1910, also had pictures accepted for Royal Academy exhibitions and the couple used to hold three-day “at home” shows at their specially-built house in St John’s Wood.

Described as “an artist’s dream”, it had three studios, one for Frank, one for Daisy and the other for their artist daughter.

Just as he was establishing a reputation as a portrait painter, the First World War broke out and Beresford enlisted in the London Regiment, becoming a sergeant-major instructor.

He survived the conflict and, during the Second World War, helped train volunteers for the Home Guard as well as teaching the female Amazons Defence Corps to shoot rifles.

Throughout his 60-year career, Beresford painted animals, aircraft, buildings and landscapes, including Dove Dale, but it was historic events and his portraits for which he became especially famous. His civic portraits included several of ex-lord mayors of London and he was also commissioned to do a presentation portrait of the Duke of Norfolk for his coming of age.

He was a prolific worker and he rarely was seen without his notebook.

During the last war, he spent three years living on air stations all over Britain, first with the Dutch and the Poles, and then with USAAF. He became an accredited war correspondent with the U.S. Army, the only artist to hold the position, and gained himself the title Pictorial Historian Of Americans Over Here.

The job involved getting up at dawn to paint bombers and their crews and, on one occasion, he made drawings from the top of a 50ft high ladder to get the effect of looking down on a formation of Fortresses.

In 1949, the Queen bought a painting he had done while visiting South Africa, where he also painted one of the last portraits of General Smuts. His other royal canvasses included one of Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret on horseback called The Morning Ride.

He was not just an outstanding artist but also a shrewd businessman. During his 14-month visit to South Africa, he retraced the route taken by Princess Elizabeth when her father died and she became Queen. Later, he had postcard reproductions made of the various locations she visited, which he hoped to sell to people living in the dominion.

Unfortunately, he did not benefit from his clever idea because the postcards could not be sold there due to new South African import restrictions.

His canvasses, however, were displayed in many galleries. He had particular success with a one-man show of more than 200 pictures at the opening of Foyle’s new gallery in Charing Cross Road, at which he sold 50 paintings.

But despite his life among the rich, famous and most powerful people in London, Beresford never forgot his Derbyshire roots. Belper held his heart and he said Derby was “his town”.

He returned to work and visit Derbyshire on several occasions, in 1950 attending Belper Art Club’s first exhibition and accepting the position of president.

He gave two of his paintings – one of the late Duke of Devonshire and the other, portraying Mrs George Strutt of Bankwood Hall fly fishing, called Trouting – to Derby Art Gallery.

His first wife died in 1939. It was 10 years before he married again, at the age of 67. He died in 1967, aged 85, leaving his widow, Beres Evelyn Pym, two daughters and three grandsons.

Adrian Farmer, secretary of Belper Historical Society and co-ordinator of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, said: “His work is still held in the highest esteem. He was a highly accomplished artist and it was nice that he never forgot his roots.

“He always maintained his close connection with Belper. His output was incredible over the years and his pictures are much sought after, though I don’t think many often come on the market.”

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