Skip to main content

William Edward Frost Portrait Paintings

English, 1810-1877

William Edward Frost was an English painter of the Victorian era. Virtually alone among English artists in the middle Victorian period, he devoted his practice to the portrayal of the female nude. Frost was educated in the schools of the Royal Academy. At the beginning of 1829, he established a reputation as a portrait painter before branching into historical and mythological subjects, including the subgenre of fairy painting that was characteristic of Victorian art. In 1839, he won the Royal Academy's gold medal for his Prometheus Bound, and in 1843, he won a prize in the Westminster Hall competition for his Una Alarmed by Fauns (a subject from Spenser's The Faerie Queene). He was elected an associate member of the Royal Academy in 1846 and a full member in 1870. Frost is widely recognized as a follower of William Etty, who preceded him as the primary British painter of nudes in the second quarter of the nineteenth century. Despite the prudishness of the Victorian era, Frost's relatively chaste nudes were popular and his career was financially successful. At their best, Frost's works have a distinctive jewel-like charm, his attractive young women models possessing a pert, self-conscious quality, which makes them more titillating than Etty's powerful studies.

to
1
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
1
2
252
103
81
75
2
2
Artist: William Edward Frost
Portrait of a Young Woman at the Seashore - British Victorian art oil painting
By William Edward Frost
Located in Hagley, England
This beautiful oil painting on canvas dates to circa 1840 and is by British Victorian artist William Edward Frost who was noted for his depiction of nudes and feminine beauty. The ov...
Category

19th Century Realist William Edward Frost Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

A Young Lady
By William Edward Frost
Located in London, GB
Oil on board, unsigned Image size: 5 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches (14 x 11.5 cm) Original 19th century oval mount and frame Provenance; With Richard Naworth, Blackburn William Edward Frost (September 1810 – 4 June 1877) was an English painter of the Victorian era. Virtually alone among English artists in the middle Victorian period, he devoted his practice to the portrayal of the female nude. Specialising in portraiture from about 1830, Frost painted more than 300 portraits during a 15-year period, and showed some as his first exhibits from 1836. William Edward Frost was born in Wandsworth, then in Surrey, in September 1810. He showed artistic talent from an early age, and was encouraged in this by his father: first by his arranging drawing lessons with a Miss Evatt, a neighbouring amateur, and then, in 1825, by his introducing him to William Etty, who became his mentor. On Etty’s recommendation, he entered Henry Sass’s School for Drawing and Painting at 6 Charlotte Street, in 1826, and spent three years there, while also studying at the British Museum each winter. Frost was educated in the schools of the Royal Academy, beginning in 1829; he established a reputation as a portrait painter before branching into historical and mythological subjects, including the subgenre of fairy painting...
Category

19th Century English School William Edward Frost Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Related Items
Gota Lejon, signed oil painting
By Louis Letouche
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Göta Lejon, 1746. by Louis Letouche (French 1924-2015) oil painting on linen canvas, stretched over board framed Framed size: 15 x 21.75 inches Superb oil painting by the well lis...
Category

1990s Realist William Edward Frost Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Gota Lejon, signed oil painting
Gota Lejon, signed oil painting
$669 Sale Price
30% Off
H 15 in W 21.75 in D 1 in
Huge British Mid 20th Century Portrait of a Bank Manager Signed Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Bank Manager by Stuart Scott Somerville (1908-1983) signed oil on canvas, framed Framed: 56 x 47 inches Canvas: 50 x 40 inches Provenance: private collection, UK Condition: very ...
Category

Mid-20th Century English School William Edward Frost Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Antique American School 19th Century Signed Young Girl Portrait Framed Painting
By Edward S Annison
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive early American portrait of a young girl by Edward S Annison. Oil on board. Framed. Measuring 11.5H x 8.25L.
Category

Early 1900s Realist William Edward Frost Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of West Highland Terrier White Dog Vintage English Oil painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Snowy" English School, 20th century signed oil on board, framed framed: 15.5 x 19.5 inches board: 12.5 x 16 inches Provenance: private collection, UK Condition: very good condition ...
Category

20th Century English School William Edward Frost Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

George Clint ARA (Attributed), Portrait Of A Lady In A Brown Dress
Located in Cheltenham, GB
This early 19th-century half-length portrait attributed to British artist George Clint ARA (1770-1854) depicts a young lady wearing a beautiful brown dress, bonnet decorated with small flowers, gold earrings and coral necklace. Clint was a distinguished painter and mezzotint engraver predominantly known for portraiture and dramatic scenes. Set before an evocative classically-inspired backdrop, she looks out from across the centuries with a composed demeanour. Adorned in the latest fashions, oversized ‘gigot’ sleeves, a delicately-poised bonnet, and a coral necklace for good luck. It’s a charming portrayal by a masterful hand. Born at Drury Lane, in the heart of London’s West End, George Clint was destined to lead an exuberant life amid the spectacle of theatreland. His father, Michael Clint, was a hairdresser during a time of “hair pomatum, whalebone, wire, lace gauze, and feathers” - so young George would have encountered a variety of ‘characters’ during his childhood. But despite these elevated surroundings, he soon discovered the darker side of London when thrust into the world of employment. Apprenticed initially as a fishmonger, he trained under a ferocious master who was known to beat him. The hours were unsocial, the conditions rank, and the work was brutal. He soon quit but subsequently found himself toiling for a corrupt attorney who demanded he undertake unscrupulous acts on his behalf. Seeking a less volatile role, he turned next to house painting, at which he excelled. Commissioned, among other projects, to paint the stones of the arches in the nave of Westminster Abbey. Aside from an incident whereby he almost fell from the second story of a building, all was going well. Following his marriage in 1792 to Sarah Coxhead, a farmer’s daughter, he began work in earnest as a painter of miniatures, determined to forge a career. Robert William Buss’ memoir celebrates Clint’s success as a miniaturist, stating that “great manual excellence was united with that chaste, delicate feeling for female beauty which characterised all Mr. Clint's portraits of ladies.” Until this point, it appears he was predominantly self-taught, presumably constrained by a lack of finances. But from hereon in, his industrious nature coupled with several fortunate encounters, led to him developing an enviable talent for both painting and engraving. During the early 19th-century, the acquaintances one kept could make or break your fortunes and perhaps acutely aware of this, Clint’s ‘society’ was an ever-evolving circle of influential personalities. He was “initiated into the mysteries of engraving” by Edward Bell (act.1794-1819) and produced numerous works after the foremost artists, such as George Stubbs, John Hoppner, and Thomas Lawrence. Following a commission from Lawrence, he struck up a long-term friendship. Admired for his skill as a mezzotint engraver, he sought next to hone his technique in oils and, as with many aspiring portraitists, his first work in this respect was a depiction of his beloved wife. The pair were both delighted with it, yet over time Clint began to doubt himself and sought the validation of a superior hand - that of Sir William Beechey (1753-1839). However, paralysed with insecurity, he couldn’t face the potential criticism, so his wife took it instead - “with a child under one arm and the portrait in the other”. The result was immeasurably more positive than he’d envisaged and he became closely associated with Beechey until his death in 1839. Numerous commissions followed from the landed gentry including Lord Egremont, Lord Spencer, and Lord Essex. But also from the theatrical community who would fill his studio at 83 Gower Street, Bloomsbury. His connections within the world of acting led to notable works such as ‘Malvolio and Sir Toby’ (from William Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night', Act II, Scene iii)’ and ‘Harriet Smithson as Miss Dorillon, in Wives as They Were, and Maids as They Are’. While his efforts in mezzotint included several contributions to JMW Turner’s Liber Studiorum. As a measure of his success, Clint was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1821 - a position he later relinquished for personal reasons. Today, he’s represented in numerous public collections including at The British Museum, Harvard Art Museums, The Met, V&A, Yale Center for British Art, and the National Portrait Gallery. “The respect in which he was held, not only by his brother artists, but by an immense number of eminent men in various professions, and others of the highest rank, was the result of a rare combination of talent, candour, suavity of manner, and integrity of purpose”. [Obituary, 1854]. Housed in a period gilt frame, which is probably original. Learn more about George Clint ARA in our directory. Labels & Inscriptions: Supplier’s stencil from Rowney & Forster. The National Portrait Gallery holds a database of supplier’s stencils over the decades. The one here is also presented on two other works by George Clint. ‘Falstaff’s Assignation with Mrs Ford...
Category

1830s English School William Edward Frost Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

The Barrister Fine Antique English Huge Oil Painting Portrait of Lawyer Gent
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Barrister (the sitter is James Guy Baker, the artists brother). by Gladys Marguerite Baker (British, 1889-1959) signed oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 146cm x 101cm canva...
Category

Early 20th Century English School William Edward Frost Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Girl with Grapes' by Willem Carel Nakken (1835 – 1926) Dutch Painter
By Willem Carel Nakken
Located in Knokke, BE
Nakken Willem Carel The Hague 1835 – 1926 Rijswijk Dutch Painter 'Girl with Grapes' Signature: signed lower right 'W. K. Nakken' Medium: oil on panel Dimensions: frame size 25,5 x...
Category

Late 19th Century Realist William Edward Frost Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Amazing 19th Century Dutch Skating Woman Winter Landscape Signed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
A powerful 19th century landscape and portrait painting. A young dutch woman lacing up her skates. Really rare and well painted. Oil on canvas, lain to board. Housed in a beautif...
Category

1870s Realist William Edward Frost Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Regina Maris Ship, signed oil painting
By Louis Letouche
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Regina Maris, 1908 by Louis Letouche (French 1924-2015) oil painting on linen canvas, stretched over board framed Framed size: 16 x 19.25 inches Superb oil painting by the well li...
Category

1990s Realist William Edward Frost Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Regina Maris Ship, signed oil painting
Regina Maris Ship, signed oil painting
$669 Sale Price
30% Off
H 16 in W 19.25 in D 1 in
1930's British Oil Painting Portrait of Westminster School Boy in Uniform
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Young Westminster" by Kathleen Emily Temple-Bird (British 1879 - 1962) signed and dated 1931 oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 33 x 24 canvas: 29 x 20 inches condition: very go...
Category

1930s English School William Edward Frost Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Cuauhtémoc, signed oil painting
By Louis Letouche
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Cuauhtémoc, 1982 by Louis Letouche (French 1924-2015) oil painting on linen canvas, stretched over board framed Framed size: 15 x 21.75 inches Superb oil painting by the well listed French marine artist Louis Letouche (1924-2015). The painting portrays the 20th Century ship titled: Cuauhtemoc, 1982. ARM Cuauhtémoc is a sail training vessel of the Mexican Navy, named for the last Mexica Hueyi Tlatoani Cuauhtémoc who was captured and executed in 1525. She is the last of four sister...
Category

1990s Realist William Edward Frost Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Cuauhtémoc, signed oil painting
Cuauhtémoc, signed oil painting
$669 Sale Price
30% Off
H 21.75 in W 15 in D 1 in
RMS Laconia, signed oil painting
By Louis Letouche
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
RMS Laconia, 1921 by Louis Letouche (French 1924-2015) oil painting on linen canvas, stretched over board framed Framed size: 14.25 x 22.75 inches Superb oil painting by the well ...
Category

1990s Realist William Edward Frost Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

RMS Laconia, signed oil painting
RMS Laconia, signed oil painting
$675 Sale Price
30% Off
H 14.25 in W 22.75 in D 1 in

William Edward Frost portrait paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic William Edward Frost portrait paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by William Edward Frost in oil paint, paint, board and more. Not every interior allows for large William Edward Frost portrait paintings, so small editions measuring 5 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Ifeoluwa Alade, Daniel Hughes, and Chikako Okada. William Edward Frost portrait paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $4,218 and tops out at $6,015, while the average work can sell for $5,116.

Recently Viewed

View All