Edward Godwin

Born 1 October 1876
Died 1957

Active: 1901 - 1921

Country of birth and death: England

Sculptor

Born in Westminster, London. He was the son of the architect Edward William Godwin (1833-1886) and his pupil and second wife, Beatrix Birnie Philip (1857–1896) who was also a designer of tiles, panels and wall-paper. Beatrice (later Beatrix) was the daughter of Frances Black and the sculptor John Birnie Philip. After his father, E.W. Godwin died in 1886, Beatrice married James McNeill Whistler (11 August 1888). Whistler had paid for her to retrain in Paris and taught her etching after their marriage. Beatrice also designed jewellery and stained glass.

Edward had connections to the theatre through the actress Ellen Terry (1847-1928). His father E.W. Godwin and Terry had lived together for six or seven years and during this time had two children - Edith Ailsa Geraldine Craig (1869–1947), theatre director and costumier and (Edward Henry) Gordon Craig (1872–1966), theatre director, stage designer and wood-engraver.

Prior to Whistler marrying his mother, the artist campaigned successfully for Beatrice to receive a pension in the Civil List. Edward attended a private boarding school called St Andrews in Caterham, presumably at his step-father's expense. Whistler asked Alfred Stevens, possibly the Belgian painter, Alfred Emile-Léopold Stevens (1823-1906) who was an old friend, to supervise Edward Godwin's education. In 1901, Edward was living with his grandmother, Frances Birnie Philip, next door to Whistler at 36 Tite Street. He exhibited a number of times at the Royal Academy between 1905-1921. Godwin's known works include the bronze angels on the Whistlers' tomb in Chiswick churchyard, and a portrait of Ronald Murray Philip (his uncle) that is in the family collection.

This record includes information from Margaret F. MacDonald's 'Beatrice Whistler Artist and Designer', Glasgow, 1997.

Citing this record

'Edward Godwin', 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_1203793862, accessed 23 Sep 2021]