Artists Rifles

• Founded by Edward Sterling in 1860• Originally titled – 38th Middlesex (Artists)

Rifle Volunteers• In 1870s comprised two companies of

painters and two companies of architects• By 1893 painters and sculptors

represented less than 5% of the membership with architects 12%, lawyers 12%, doctors 10% and civil engineers 6%.

“Such splendid beards; worthy of Titian and such fine faces! Imagine some dirty little scrub of a foreigner picking off his Stanfield, or potting a Millais before breakfast. But there would be plenty of Englishmen left to avenge them and to paint good pictures afterwards.”

Once a Week, 1860

Some Early Members (1) 1860s

• Frederic, Lord Leighton P.R.A.• George Frederick Watts R.A.• John Everett Millais P.R.A.• William Morris• Dante Gabriel Rossetti• Edward Burne-Jones• William Holman Hunt

Frederic, Lord Leighton P.R.A.Lieutenant Colonel

Frederic, Lord Leighton P.R.A.The Music Lesson

George Frederick Watts R.A.

George Frederick Watts R.A.Echo and Narcissus

Sir John Everett Millais P.R.A.

John Everett Millais P.R.A.The Boyhood of Raleigh

William Morris

William MorrisGuinevere and Iseult

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Dante Gabriel RossettiBeata Beatrix

Edward Burne-Jones

Edward Burne-JonesThe Tree of Forgiveness

William Holman Hunt

William Holman HuntThe Lady of Shalott

Some Early Members (2) 1860s

• Henry Wyndham Phillips• John William Waterhouse R.A.• Luke Fildes R.A.• Val Prinsep R.A.• Charles Edward Perugini• Robert William Edis• Frederick Pepys Cockerell

Henry Wyndham Phillips

Henry Wyndham PhillipsLucie, Lady Duff-Gordon

John William Waterhouse R.A.

John William Waterhouse R.A.The Lady of Shalott

Luke Fildes R.A.

Luke Fildes R.A.The Doctor

Val Prinsep R.A.

Val Prinsep R.A.The Queen was in the Parlour

Charles Edward Perugini

Charles Edward PeruginiGirl Reading

Robert William EdisColonel

Robert William EdisThe Grand Central Hotel, London

Frederick Pepys Cockerell

Frederick Pepys CockerellClonalis House, Ireland

Some Early Members (3)1860s

• Algernon Swinburne • Sir Edward Poynter P.R.A.• Carl Haag• Henry Tanworth-Wells R.A.• William Yeames R.A.• Henry Stacy Marks R.A.

Algernon Swinburne

Algernon Swinburne Atalanta in Calydon

Sir Edward Poynter P.R.A.

Sir Edward Poynter

P.R.A.The Fortune Teller

Carl Haag

Carl HaagA Nomad and his

Camel

Henry Tanworth-Wells R.A.

Henry Tanworth-Wells R.A.Volunteers at the Firing-Point

William F. Yeames R.A.

William F. Yeames R.A.When did you Last See your

Father?

Henry Stacy Marks R.A.

Henry Stacy Marks R.A.Science is Measurement

Various Works by

other Artists1860s-1900

Edwin Long R.A.Nouzhatoul-âouadat

David Wilkie WynfieldSelf Portrait

Frederick Walker A.R.A.

Frederick Walker A.R.A.Study of a Woman

Field Talfourd

Field TalfourdElizabeth Barrett Browning

John Evan Hodgson R.A.

John Evan Hodgson R.A.

A Shipwrecked Sailor

George Vicat Cole R.A.

George Vicat Cole R.A.

Autumn Morning

Sir William Blake Richmond R.A.

Sir William Blake Richmond R.A.

Orpheus returning from the Shades

Walter William Ouless R.A.

Portrait of Henry Stacy Marks

Sir Ernest Albert Waterlow R.A.

The Banks of the River Loing

Sir Arthur Stockdale Cope R.A.

Sir Arthur Stockdale Cope R.A.

Sir William Henry Perkin

Sir Aston Webb P.R.A.

Sir Aston Webb P.R.A.

Admiralty Arch

HamoHamo Thornycroft R.A.

HamoHamo Thornycroft R.A.

Oliver Cromwell

John Burgess R.A.The Freedom of the Press

Andrew Gow R.A.A Mountain Pass

John Seymour Lucas R.A.

John Seymour Lucas R.A.

News from the Front

Henry Woods R.A.Il Campo SS Giovanni e

Paola

William Barnes Wollen

William Barnes Wollen

The Rugby Match

W.F. CalderonHow the Four Fairy…

Adrian Stokes R.A.

Lago Maggiore

William Lee-HankeyThe Time Was Young

Artists Rifles Uniforms 1859-1913

Alfred Egerton Cooper

Some Later Members (1)1914+

• Charles Jagger A.R.A.• John Millar Watt (Pop)• Paul Nash• John Nash R.A.• Frank Dobson R.A.• James Bateman R.A.• Sidney Strube • Herbert Gunn R.A.• Malcolm Osborne R.A.• Meredith Frampton R.A.

Charles Jagger A.R.A.Royal Artillery Memorial

John Millar Watt (Pop)

Paul Nash

Paul NashEquivalents for the

Megaliths

John Nash R.A.

John Nash R.A.Over the Top

Frank Dobson R.A.

Frank Dobson R.A.

Study for Head of Pax

James Bateman R.A.

James Bateman R.A.Lullington Church

Sidney Strube

Sidney Strube

Sir Herbert James Gunn R.A.

Conversation Piece at Royal Lodge

Malcolm Osborne R.A.

Stirling Church

Meredith Frampton R.A.

Still-Life

Some Later Members (2)1914+

• Alfred Leete• Lance Thackeray• Bert Thomas • Alfred Egerton Cooper• Bernard Fleetwood-Walker• Edward Thomas• Arthur Reginald Smith • Robert Sherriffs• William McMillan R.A.• Wilfred Owen

Alfred Leete

Lance Thackeray

Bert Thomas

Ivor InnesThe Elfin Oak

Alfred Egerton CooperCrowd in Piccadilly

Bernard Fleetwood-Walker

Family at Polperro 1934-36

Edward ThomasPoet

Arthur Reginald Smith

Kettlewell Bridge

Robert Sherriffs

William McMillan R.A.

Syrinx

Wilfred Owen

Some Later Members (3)

• Clive Brook (actor)• Wilfrid Lawson (actor)• Noel Coward (actor)• Lance Sieveking (BBC producer &

writer)• Desmond Llewellyn (actor)• Sir Barnes Wallis (engineer)

Clive BrookActor

Wilfrid Lawson

Actor

Sir Noel Coward

Lance SievekingBBC

Desmond Llewelyn“Q” In James Bond

Sir Barnes Wallis

Royal Academy – War Memorial

Names to Follow up (1)

• Arthur Gilbert• Robert Underdown• Charles Earles• William W. Fenn• Wilfred R. Wood• Arthur Gerald Ackermann• Walter Montague Smyth (1863-

1965)

Names to Follow up (2)

• Ernest Cole (sculptor)• John Wheatley (etcher and

engraver)• Edward Henry Handley Read• Charles Moore (stained glass artist)• William Swinden Barber (architect)• Sir Stephen Courtauld (patron)

Names to Follow up (3)

• Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson (actor)• Ian Forbes-Robertson (actor)• Eric Forbes-Robertson (artist)• Norman Forbes(-Robertson) (actor)• Brandon Thomas (actor and author

Charley’s Aunt)• John Wildash RSA• Charles Maresco Pearce (1874-1964)• Charles Mott (singer)

Names to Follow up (4)

• Edgell Rickwood (poet)• Alfred Bentley• Kennard Bliss (poet and musician)• Alfred McLelland Burrage (author)• Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm (sculptor)

Post War Artists

• Andrew Russell (Rusty) Ashman• Bill Billings• David Jenner• Peter Power

In 1947 the Artists Rifles were resurrected with the title

21 SAS Regiment (Artists)

For further information see:

www.artistsriflesassociation.org