Francis John Williamson
Born 17 July 1833
Died 12 March 1920
Active: 1868 - 1902
Country of birth and death: England
Sculptor, studio assistant, modeller
Born in Hampstead, London. His father had various occupations including a blue maker and messenger. A younger brother, John Henry (born c.1843) was a silversmith. Francis studied first with John Bell at Somerset House. During this time he met John Henry Foley and became an articled pupil for seven years. Francis stayed on for a further fourteen years as a studio assistant.
Williamson came to the attention of Queen Victoria when the latter was visiting Foley's studio and she became one of his most important patrons. The first major commission he received from her was for the memorial at Claremont to princess Charlotte and her husband Prince Leopold in 1870. There followed sittings for portraits of most of the royal family. In addition to portrait busts he carried out numerous commissions for statues and monuments. In 1877 he created the Jubilee bust of Queen Victoria, copies of which were placed across the empire. He died at his home in Esher after a long illness.
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited. Click here for more information.
Hero
1868 (Presumed)
Faire Hellenore
1868 (Presumed)
Faire Serena
1868 (Presumed)
All Alone
1868 (Presumed)
The Rosebud
1868 (Presumed)
Rosebud
1875 (Presumed)
£21
Lillie
1875 (Presumed)
£21
Her Majesty Queen Victoria
1902 (Presumed)
Locations
Address 17 Osnaburgh Street Regent's Park London | View on map
1855 (Circa)
Address High Street Esher | View on map
1858 (Circa) - 1911 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at Exhibition of Modern Paintings, Sculpture, &c., at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1868
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Sixty-First Autumn Exhibition, at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1887
'Her Majesty the Queen'
Exhibited at The Seventy-Sixth Autumn Exhibition at the Rooms of the Society, New Street (Royal Birmingham Society of Artists), 1902
'Her Majesty Queen Victoria'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1853 - 1897
Exhibited 38 times, an average of three works per year (ranging from one in the early years to four or five in the 1870s), a mix of portrait busts, medals and ideal works.
Exhibited at Exhibition of the Bristol Academy, Works of Modern Artists, The Thirtieth, 1875
1875
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the eighth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1878
1878
Sunrise (cat. no. 1052, high-relief in marble, £73 10s.).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the fifteenth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1885
1885
Briseis (cat. no. 1420, marble, £51 10s.); Miranda (cat. no. 1432, marble, £52 10s.).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the fifteenth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1885
1885
Miranda (cat. no. 1432, marble, £52 10s.).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the twentieth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1890
1890
The Right Hon. A. J. Balfour, MP (cat. no. 1283, not for sale); Jubilee Bust of Her Majesty the Queen (cat. no. 1285, plaster, not for sale); An Eastern Shepherd (cat. no. 1310, marble, £47 5s.); Cupid and Psyche (cat. no. 1314, marble, £52 10s.).
Institutional and Business Connections
Invited to join Royal Society of British Sculptors
2 March 1905 - 3 April 1905
Amongst the suggested second wave of those invited to join 'without further nomination' [2 March 1905, Royal Society of British Sculptors, Minutes of Council Meetings, Vol.I]: but name removed from list following further discussion at next meeting [3 April 1905, Royal Society of British Sculptors, Minutes of Council Meetings, Vol.I]
Personal and Professional Connections
Pupil of John Henry Foley
Articled to Foley [see Who was Who (1920-2008)]
Student of John Bell
Precise dates uncertain, however Bell taught him at Somerset House [see Times (1920)]
Descriptions of Practice
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851
'Modeller (Apprentice)'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
'Sculptor'
Sources
Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the fifteenth, 1885 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1885
pp. 85-87.
Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the fifteenth, 1885 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1885
pp. 85-87.
Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the twentieth, 1890 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1890
pp. 46-48.
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1851
2004
Class: HO107; Piece: 1496; Folio: 806; Page: 15; GSU roll: 87828-87829
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
2004
Class: RG10; Piece: 863; Folio: 36; Page: 4; GSU roll: 827765
Royal Society of British Sculptors. Minutes of Council Meetings No. 1, 1905-1913
19 May 1913
2 March 1905; 3 April 1905.
The Times Digital Archive 1785-1985
2008
The Times, Saturday, Mar 13, 1920; pg. 18; Issue 42358; col B Mr. F. J. Williamson. Category: Obituaries (accessed 11 February 2010)
Citing this record
'Francis John Williamson', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib4_1202311457, accessed 29 Mar 2023]
