William Harold Dudley
Encyclopedia
William Harold Dudley was a painter
, born in Bilston
in the English West Midlands. He taught at Cheltenham College of Art and was Head of Art at Newport College of Art between 1922-1940. He exhibited at the Royal Academy
, Royal West of England Academy
, Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
and the Paris Salon
.. He painted landscapes which display the effects of light and colour on the landscape, often working out of doors. As well as painting the area close to his home in the West of England, he also produced numerous views of Polperro
in Cornwall, which he and his wife visited regularly. In his 50s he developed Parkinsons Disease, which hampered his ability to paint and he died in 1949.
. He had three sisters Annie (b.1882), Harriet (b.1884) and Mary (b.1894) and an older brother, Thomas (b.1886)
He studied at Bilston Art College and later at the Royal College of Art
, London, graduating from there in 1916.
Dudley worked for the Intelligence Corps, drawing maps and he is mentioned in despatches for his bravery crawling through the trenches to deliver maps to the front line. Some works from this period exist, including an etching of a monk and a watercolour of a young boy. At around this time he married Frances Wells, who had been his art teacher. The couple did not have children but they shared a love of art and were both keen travellers.
, which included Alexander Stanhope Forbes and his wife Elizabeth Armstrong
. After his death in 1949, his wife Frances, bequeathed many of his paintings to Bilston Art Gallery. and they are now in the collection of Wolverhampton Arts and Heritage Service
.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, born in Bilston
Bilston
Bilston is a town in the English county of West Midlands, situated in the southeastern corner of the City of Wolverhampton. Three wards of Wolverhampton City Council cover the town: Bilston East and Bilston North, which almost entirely comprise parts of the historic Borough of Bilston, and...
in the English West Midlands. He taught at Cheltenham College of Art and was Head of Art at Newport College of Art between 1922-1940. He exhibited at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
, Royal West of England Academy
Royal West of England Academy
The Royal West of England Academy is an art gallery where Queens Road meets Whiteladies Road, in Bristol, England.- History :The Academy was the first art gallery in Bristol. Its foundation was financed by a bequest of £2000 in the will of Ellen Sharples in 1849, and a group of artists in...
, Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists or RBSA is a learned society of artists and an art gallery based in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, England. it is both a registered charity. and a registered company The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists or RBSA is a learned society of artists and an...
and the Paris Salon
Paris Salon
The Salon , or rarely Paris Salon , beginning in 1725 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. Between 1748–1890 it was the greatest annual or biannual art event in the Western world...
.. He painted landscapes which display the effects of light and colour on the landscape, often working out of doors. As well as painting the area close to his home in the West of England, he also produced numerous views of Polperro
Polperro
Polperro is a village and fishing harbour on the south-east Cornwall coast in South West England, UK, within the civil parish of Lansallos. Situated on the River Pol, 4 miles west of the neighbouring town of Looe and west of the major city and naval port of Plymouth, it is well-known for...
in Cornwall, which he and his wife visited regularly. In his 50s he developed Parkinsons Disease, which hampered his ability to paint and he died in 1949.
Early life
Dudley was part of a close knit working family. His father, Mesach, was an ironworker, employed at Bowen's ironworks in Bilston and his mother, Mary, was a coal-dealer's daughter from EttingshallEttingshall
Ettingshall is an area of Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England, and is a ward of Wolverhampton City Council.-History:Ettingshall was mentioned as an ancient manor in the Domesday Book of 1086...
. He had three sisters Annie (b.1882), Harriet (b.1884) and Mary (b.1894) and an older brother, Thomas (b.1886)
He studied at Bilston Art College and later at the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
, London, graduating from there in 1916.
The war years
During the First World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Dudley worked for the Intelligence Corps, drawing maps and he is mentioned in despatches for his bravery crawling through the trenches to deliver maps to the front line. Some works from this period exist, including an etching of a monk and a watercolour of a young boy. At around this time he married Frances Wells, who had been his art teacher. The couple did not have children but they shared a love of art and were both keen travellers.
Teaching career
After the war Dudley taught art in Cheltenham and Newport, South Wales as well as pursuing his painting career. His style was similar to that of the 'plein-air' painters of the Newlyn SchoolNewlyn School
The Newlyn School is a term used to describe an art colony of artists based in or near to Newlyn, a fishing village adjacent to Penzance, Cornwall, from the 1880s until the early 20th century. The establishment of the Newlyn School was reminiscent of the Barbizon School in France, where artists...
, which included Alexander Stanhope Forbes and his wife Elizabeth Armstrong
Elizabeth Armstrong
Elizabeth Armstrong is a female water polo goalkeeper from the United States, who won the gold medal with the United States women's national water polo team at the 2007 Pan American Games. She made her debut for the national team in 2006...
. After his death in 1949, his wife Frances, bequeathed many of his paintings to Bilston Art Gallery. and they are now in the collection of Wolverhampton Arts and Heritage Service
Wolverhampton Art Gallery
Wolverhampton Art Gallery is located in the City of Wolverhampton, in the West Midlands, United Kingdom. The building was funded and constructed by local contractor Philip Horsman , and built on land provided by the Council...
.