Frederick Henry Townsend (1868–1920) British
illustrator, cartoonist and printmaker. Townsend studied at Lambeth School of
Art where other students included Charles Haslewood Shannon, Leonard Raven-Hill
and Arthur Rackham. He illustrated for many periodicals and books, including
short stories by Oscar Wilde, the second edition of Charlotte Brontë's 1847
novel Jane Eyre, Arthur Conan Doyle's The Sign of Four, Nathaniel Hawthorne's
House of the Seven Gables etc.. He became the first art editor of Punch in 1905,
contributing many cartoons to the publication from 1896. Townsend exhibited at
the Royal Academy, Royal Society of British Artists, Royal Society of Painters
& Etchers, New English Art Club, New Gallery, and Fine Art Society. In 1915
he was elected to the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers.
This drawing comes from a sketchbook by Frederick Henry
Townsend c.1896. Each drawing is on ‘The New North Mill’ fine laid paper’. The
sketchbook (detailed in last two images; not included in this listing) is inscribed F.H.TOWNSEND on the front
page with notations on other pages including a reference to Punch. There are a
couple of more cartoon-like drawings but the book mainly consists of more
naturalistic studies of animals, landscapes and portraits (Many, likely the
artist's wife and daughter). A number are titled and dated ’96, around Woodham
Walter area of Essex. This listing is for one drawing, detailed below.
Two gentlemen conversing. Drawing on thin laid paper in very reasonable condition, with some age related toning, light handling and minor charcoal smudges.
Paper measures 20cm x 26cm. Unsigned and unframed.