William Monk Figurative Prints

Born in 1863 in Chester, England, William Monk learned to etch while studying in Antwerp. On his return to Chester, he continued working in this medium, producing many highly regarded images of local interest. In 1892, he moved to London to teach at the Bery Art School, St. John’s Wood, where he became director in 1897. Monk was elected an Associate of the Royal Society of Painters-Etchers and Engravers in 1894 and became a Fellow of the Society in 1899. In 1903, Monk inaugurated the Calendium Londinense or the London Almanac which consisted of a 15 x 11 inch print with the calendar of the year printed below. These hand-printed images were in wide circulation. In 1906, Monk toured Ireland and then traveled to New York where he created a series of etchings which were exhibited there at A. Ackerman and Son Galleries. The impact New York had on Monk lead him to advocate his newfound conviction that every art student should travel to America as well as Italy as part of their training. Monk returned to his native Chester after a long sojourn in London and died there in 1937. His work is represented in the collection of the British Museum and the South Kensington Museum.