Frank Short (1857 – 1945) was born in Worcestershire and trained as a civil engineer.
Arthur Hacker RA (1858 – 1919). Copyright RA.
He moved to London in 1881 to assist the Parliamentary Enquiry into pollution in the Thames; some things never change. Two years later he joined the South Kensington School of Art (today the Royal College of Art) and gave up his engineering career to become an engraver using mezzotint and aquatint, skills that had fallen out of use. It didn’t take long for him to get the hang of it.
His work was of the highest quality; “coastal landscapes, river estuaries, meadows and foreshores in Devon, Norfolk, Sussex, Cornwall and the north of England captivated him for his entire working life. Short’s subtle and reticent drawing of the receding lines of the low banks and shallows of river estuaries and flat shores can be seen in many of his original etchings, mezzotints, and aquatints.” Wikipedia.
He taught and wrote about printmaking becoming a member (and Master) of the Art Workers’ Guild, President of the Royal Society of Painter Etcher & Engavers (now the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers), was elected to the Royal Academy and knighted. For twenty-nine years in middle age he lived in Brook Green where I photographed his blue plaque.
I have ordered this Frank Short mezzotint from Meisterdrucke (they have ninety to choose from) because of its beauty, his virtuosity and of course he is a local man.
**********
Dorothy Short (1890 – 1972) was one of the first pupils at St Paul’s Girls School. A marble bust of her by Arthur Walker was exhibited at the RA in 1912.
She was painted by Alfred Hartley, a contemporary of her father Frank at art school who also became a skilled engraver.
**********
Francis Short served as a Captain in the 1st Battalion of the Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent) Regiment. He died the day after his 24th birthday, of endocarditis, while on active service. He is the only son of Frank Short.
**********
Frank, his wife and children are all buried in Margravine Cemetery.
Thank you Christopher for this interesting article, we had our introduction to Mezzotint collecting at the first antique dealers fair at the RDS a few years back. We met Ronan and Liam of Caxton Antique Prints, Patrick Street, Dublin, and have had a wonderful time since collecting and talking with great people. Sadly we missed the Frye exhibition in Dublin recently, but we have had the pleasure of seeing much of his work in Chicago at the stunning exhibition of Irish art in 2015 , and NGI later. Great article. Sir Frank Short, revived.