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Frank Owen Salisbury Paintings

English, 1874-1962

Frank Owen Salisbury was an English artist who specialized in portraits, large canvases of historical and ceremonial events, stained glass and book illustration. In his heyday, Salisbury was valued and admired on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1901, Salisbury married Alice Maude with whom he had twin daughters. His first Royal Academy exhibit was a portrait of Alice. It is for portraiture that Salisbury is best known. His speed in producing portraits stemmed from his painting his twin daughters every morning for an hour and his career began with child portraiture and his painting the Hertfordshire gentry and members of the Harpenden Methodist Church. Salisbury had a studio at his home, Sarum Chase. A providential meeting with Lord Wakefield, founder of Castrol Oils and a Methodist philanthropist, saw his introduction to society portraiture. Salisbury's being selected to paint the Boy Cornwell in the Battle of Jutland then brought him to the notice of Royalty. Lord Wakefield then arranged for him to paint President Woodrow Wilson whilst he was in London, but Wilson departed for Paris and the opportunity was lost. It was to be John W. Davis, American Ambassador to London, who encouraged Salisbury to go to the USA; Davis had met Salisbury at art receptions and had admired his child portraits. 25 members of the Royal House of Windsor sat for Salisbury and he was the first artist to paint HM Queen Elizabeth II. Salisbury painted Winston Churchill on more occasions than any other artist; the two iconic images of Churchill - The Siren Suit and Blood, Sweat and Tears are both Salisbury images. Other significant portraits include those of Richard Burton, Andrew Carnegie, Sir Alan Cobham, Sir Robert Ludwig Mond, Maria Montessori, Montgomery of Alamein, Earl Mountbatten of Burma, Benito Mussolini, John Player, Lord Rank, Jan-Christiaan Smuts and Sir Henry Wood. Salisbury was remarkably successful in the USA where he was deemed to have fulfilled the American Dream. Salisbury made 13 visits and painted six Presidents with his Franklin D. Roosevelt remaining as the official White House portrait to this day. Industrial and financial giants who sat for him included Henry Clay Folger, Elbert Henry Gary, Edward Stephen Harkness, Will Keith Kellogg, Andrew William Mellon, John Pierpont Morgan, George Mortimer Pullman, John Davison Rockefeller Jr. and Myron C. Taylor.

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Artist: Frank Owen Salisbury
Onward Christian Soldiers - British Edwardian 1911 art religious oil painting
Onward Christian Soldiers - British Edwardian 1911 art religious oil painting

Onward Christian Soldiers - British Edwardian 1911 art religious oil painting

By Frank Owen Salisbury

Located in Hagley, England

This striking British Edwardian religious oil painting is by noted artist Francis 'Frank' Owen Salisbury or Frank O'Salisbury as he is largely known. Painted in 1911 it is a figurative landscape of soldiers on the battlefield. The two central characters, the 'Christian Soldiers' from the early crusades have halos and ride through the chaos on white horses. Shafts on light with angels illuminate them and also a crucifix. A very powerful Edwardian religious oil painting and an excellent example of O'Salisbury's work. painted in oil and illuminated in gold leaf. Signed and dated with monogram lower right 1911. Provenance. From Castle of Park, Aberdeenshire. A version of this painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy London in 1911 entitled the Passing of War. Condition. Oil on canvas, 36 inches by 24 inches unframed and in good condition. Frame. Housed a complementary frame, 44 inches by 32 inches framed and in good condition. Francis ("Frank") Owen Salisbury (18 December 1874 – 31 August 1962) was an English artist who specialised in portraits, large canvases of historical and ceremonial events, stained glass and book illustration. In his heyday he made a fortune on both sides of the Atlantic and was known as "Britain’s Painter Laureate". His art was steadfastly conservative and he was a vitriolic critic of Modern Art – particularly of his contemporaries Picasso, Chagall and Mondrian. His father, Henry Salisbury, described himself as a "plumber, decorator and ironmonger" (his mother was Susan Hawes), yet his son Frank would become one of the greatest society artists of his generation. One of 11 children, Salisbury was such a delicate child that he was educated at home, in the main by his student teacher sister, Emilie. He had only a few weeks formal schooling and began work by repairing bicycles at his father’s Cycle Depot in Harpenden. Uncertain as to his ability to find and maintain a job, the family determined that he be apprenticed, at the age of 15, to Henry James Salisbury, his eldest brother, who managed a major stained glass company in Alma Road, St Albans. He rapidly acquired all the practical skills of a stained glass artist and exhibited exceptional skills in the painterly detail that was applied to glass before its final firing. This led to his brother sponsoring him to attend Heatherley’s School of Art three days a week to further a career in painting. He then won a scholarship to the Royal Academy Schools which he attended for five years and where he won two silver medals and two scholarships, including the Landseer scholarship which funded his to travel to Italy in 1896. In due course he would have seventy exhibits accepted for the annual Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions, from 1899 until 1943, though he was never offered membership, which reportedly disappointed him very much. In 1901 he married Alice Maude (d. 1951), daughter of C. Colmer Greenwood, with whom he had several children, including twin daughters Monica and Sylvia. His first Royal Academy exhibit was a portrait of Alice and he often painted pictures of their children. It is for portraiture that he is best known. His speed in producing portraits stemmed from his painting his own twin daughters every morning for an hour and his career began with child portraiture and his painting the Hertfordshire gentry and members of the Harpenden Methodist Church. He had a studio at his home, Sarum Chase. A providential meeting with Lord Wakefield, founder of Castrol Oils and a Methodist philanthropist, saw his introduction to society portraiture. Salisbury’s being selected to paint the Boy Cornwell in the Battle of Jutland then brought him to the notice of Royalty. Lord Wakefield then arranged for him to paint President Woodrow Wilson whilst he was in London, but Wilson departed for Paris and the opportunity was lost. It was to be John W. Davis, American Ambassador to London, who encouraged Salisbury to go to the USA; Davis had met Salisbury at art receptions and had admired his child portraits. Twenty-five members of the Royal House of Windsor sat for Salisbury and he was the first artist to paint HM Queen Elizabeth II. In 1919 he painted a mural for the Royal Exchange, London National Peace Thanksgiving Service on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral, 6th July 1919. He painted Winston Churchill on more occasions than any other artist; the two iconic images of Churchill – The Siren Suit and Blood, Sweat and Tears are both Salisbury images. Mayoral regalia was a ready made requisite for the Salisbury style with Councillor Sam Ryder (of Ryder Cup fame) as Mayor of St Albans being the most famous of his civic images. Other significant portraits include those of Richard Burton, Andrew Carnegie (posthumous), Sir Alan Cobham, Sir Robert Ludwig Mond, Maria Montessori...

Category

1910s Realist Frank Owen Salisbury Paintings

Materials

Oil

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Francis Owen Salisbury Original Large Scale Oil Portrait of an Elegant Woman C.1934 Original oil on canvas Canvas dimensions 34" wide x 55" high The ornate gilded frame measures 41" wide x 62" high The painting sits behind a pane of glass (easily removed) The frame shows some loss (see images - easily restored, or displayed as is) The painting is signed and dated in the upper left corner Very good vintage condition Francis (Frank) Owen Salisbury (1874-1962) was an artist from Harpenden in Hertfordshire, England who specialized in portraits, murals and stained glass. He was initially employed repairing bicycles in his father's Cycle Depot and his first studio as a professional painter was in an attic loaned by his uncle. Nevertheless, at the height of his career, he became known as Britain's "Painter Laureate" and his sitters at 'Sarum Chase', his neo-Tudor mansion-studio in Hampstead, were the leading figures of his day. He trained at Heatherley's Art School and the Royal Academy Schools where the visiting lecturers included Edwin Austin Abbey, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, J. Seymour Lucas, Sir William Blake Richmond and John Singer Sargent. His career as a portraitist commenced with his painting the Hertfordshire gentry and their children. He progressed to painting royalty, aristocrats, clerics, politicians, mayors, financiers and businessmen. Notable portraits include those of HM George V, Winston S. Churchill, Montgomery of Alamein, J. Pierpont Morgan Jr., Mackenzie King, Benito Mussolini, Sir Henry Wood, Richard Burton and five Presidents of the USA. The White House portrait of President Franklin D. Roosevelt is by Salisbury. From the 1920s he enjoyed enormous success in the USA in Chicago, New York and Washington where he painted over six hundred portraits. His specialty was large canvases of historical and ceremonial events. These are located in Buckingham Palace, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Palace of Westminster, Royal Exchange, Guildhall Art Gallery and the RAF Museum in the UK and in The Pentagon in the USA. Salisbury was a pacesetter in the painting of murals in British public buildings and few of his contemporaries had his organizational skills or were willing to tackle such vast projects. This is a rare opportunity to acquire a large scale portrait...

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The Magic Crystal
The Magic Crystal

Frank Owen SalisburyThe Magic Crystal

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H 30.24 in W 40.01 in D 1.19 in

The Magic Crystal

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Frank Owen SALISBURY (British, 1874-1962) The Magic Crystal Oil on canvas Signed `Frank Salisbury’ (lower right) 76.8 cm x 101.6 cm Inc frame 112 x 87 cm Francis Owen Salisbury (187...

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Frank Owen Salisbury paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Frank Owen Salisbury paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Frank Owen Salisbury in oil paint, paint, canvas and more. Not every interior allows for large Frank Owen Salisbury paintings, so small editions measuring 44 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Mort Künstler, Goyo Dominguez, and Robert Gemmell Hutchison. Frank Owen Salisbury paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $6,850 and tops out at $20,049, while the average work can sell for $13,449.