Rudyard Kipling, No. 1

A virtuoso of portraits and scenes of the working class with a sharp eye for depicting the truth of his subjects, William Strang (1859-1921) was a revered draughtsman and painter. However, his most lucrative and productive mode of creation was printmaking, an integral part of his career throughout his lifetime. Critics such as Maurice Harold Grant noted Strang as a printmaker who was ‘keenly observant’ in all stages required of printmaking, particularly in his ability to transfer his immaculately drawn line into an equally impressive bitten plate.

Born in Dumbarton, Scotland in 1859 to working-class parents, Strang moved to London in 1875 at the age of 16. The following year he enrolled at the Slade School of Art, where he studied under the French Realist, Alphonse Legros. Strang excelled particularly in Legros’ recently introduced etching class, serving as Assistant Master in the class for two years after graduating. Strang’s style was heavily influenced by Legros; both artists having working-class backgrounds, leading to a strong undercurrent of social justice in many of Strang’s works. Early in his career Strang made many etchings of working class life in a realist manner, as well as works of allegory and delightfully macabre fantasy. An increase in requests for commissions in after the mid-1890s meant that Strang focused more on portraiture and painting. However, he still continued to work as a printmaker throughout his career – becoming President of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers in 1918. A month before his death in 1921, Strang was elected an Engraver Member of the Royal Academy.

Strang is perhaps best known for his portraits of famous artistic and literary sitters such as the art historian and curator Campbell Dodgson, (Te Papa 1968-0001-43) and this half-length portrait of famous author Rudyard Kipling. Like some other etching revivalists such as Muirhead Bone, Strang lent his skills in etching to book illustration; in 1900, Strang made thirty aquatints and etchings to illustrate Kipling’s short stories.

Kipling sits in near profile to the right, a pipe in hand. His face and neck are highly detailed while the rest of the body is comprised of line only. Like many other etching revivalists, Strang followed in the tradition of the 'unfinished but complete' portrait, seen in the etchings of Antony van Dyck such as Jan Brueghel (1645) (Te Papa 1952-0003-173). Strang takes note not only of van Dyck’s half-finished tendency, but also in the rejection of adventitious light and shade. While many Old Master engravings focused on the strength of line the burin could produce, Strang uses the line to create tone; his etchings often look more like the fine lines of a pencil drawing, highlighting the transferability of his skills in draughtsmanship.

See:

British Museum: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?assetId=399765&objectId=1587274&partId=1

Frank Newbolt, E.tchings of William Strang A.R.A. (London: George Newnes, Ltd.; New York: Scribner’s Sons, 1907), pp. 7-19.

Laurence Binyon, William Strang; Catalogue of his Etched Work (Glasgow: James MacLehose and Sons, 1906), pp. vii-xvii.

Maurice Harold Grant, A Dictionary of British Etchers (London: Rockliff, 1953), pp. 196-197

National Galleries Scotland: https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/artists/william-strang

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Strang

Dr Mark Stocker   Curator, Historical International Art    January 2018