Blandford Fletcher facts for kids

The Kitchen Garden in November, 1883

William Teulon Blandford Fletcher (also known as Blandford Fletcher) was a British artist. He was born on November 8, 1858, and passed away on June 27, 1936. He was an early member of the important Newlyn School of painters. This group of artists worked together in a special way.

Early Life and Art Training

Blandford Fletcher was born in London in 1858. His father was a linen draper, but Blandford wanted to be an artist. He started studying art at the South Kensington School of Art when he was 16. He studied there for four years. During this time, he won the Silver Medal and the Queen's Prize for his art. He also visited Brittany in France and met another artist named Stanhope Forbes.

Becoming a Professional Artist

After his studies in London, Fletcher went to Antwerp in Belgium. He joined a life drawing class at the Academie Royale. There, he became good friends with other artists like Frank Bramley and Fred Hall.

He spent time painting in France, in places like Pont-Aven and Dinan. While there, he met the famous French painter Jules Bastien-Lepage. In 1884, Fletcher showed four of his paintings at the Royal Academy of Arts exhibition in London.

Joining the Newlyn School

In 1885, Blandford Fletcher became one of the first members of the Newlyn School. This was a group of artists who lived and painted in the fishing village of Newlyn in Cornwall, England. They were known for painting everyday life and outdoor scenes.

While in Newlyn, Fletcher worked on a large painting called Dame Grigson's Academy. He lived with other artists, including Stanhope Forbes. However, he left the Newlyn School later that same year. He continued to travel and paint in different places. Eventually, he settled down in Dorking in 1904, and then in Abingdon-on-Thames in 1915.

Famous Works of Art

The Painting Evicted

Fletcher's most well-known painting is Evicted. He painted it in 1887. This painting was the very first one bought by the Queensland Art Gallery in Australia in 1896.

Evicted was a very popular painting. In 1942, it even inspired an 11-year-old girl named Betty Churcher to become an artist herself. She later said that looking at the painting made her "fall in love again with the magic of paint."

For many years, Evicted was seen as a "masterpiece." But over time, art tastes changed. By 1949, some people thought it was too "sentimental" or just an "illustration," not true art. It was even taken off display and put into storage for a while. Despite this, it remained a very popular picture with the public. Today, it is not usually on display.

Other Notable Paintings

Blandford Fletcher created many other paintings during his career. Here are a few of them:

• The Kitchen Garden in November, 1883, found at the National Gallery of Ireland
• The Farm Garden, 1888, at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford
• The Widow's Mite, 1890, at the Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum
• Under Petticoat Government, 1891, at the Ferens Art Gallery
• The Old Mill, Surrey, 1893, at Leeds Art Gallery
• Sacrament Sunday, 1897, at Nottingham City Museum & Gallery
• Bosham Harbour at Low Tide, 1901, at Penlee House
• The Anthem, 1913, at the Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service

Exhibitions

Fletcher's art has been shown in several exhibitions:

• Maas Gallery, London, 1975.
• "Father and Daughter: Blandford Fletcher, painter, Rosamund Fletcher, sculptor", Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 1979.

Family Life

Blandford Fletcher married Norah Beatrice Emmeline Harris in 1894. They had been engaged since 1888. They had two daughters together. One of their daughters, Rosamund Fletcher, also became an artist, working as a sculptor.

Blandford Fletcher passed away in 1936 in Abingdon, at the age of 77. He had become a Catholic during his life.