“Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”

Walter Crane (1845 - 1915)

Watercolour on paper

1911
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  • About the work
    Location
    Country: UK
    City: London
    Place: Government Art Collection
  • About the artist
    Walter Crane was the son of portrait painter Thomas Crane. At 13 he was apprenticed to a wood engraver. He began exhibiting at the Royal Academy at 16. Crane failed to gain recognition for his paintings, becoming better known for children’s book illustrations and designs for wallpapers, tiles and textiles. Influenced by William Morris, he joined the Social Democratic Federation in 1884. He was a founder member of the Art-Workers’ Guild and helped establish the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society, serving as its President. In 1891-92, a retrospective of his work toured the US. He became Director of Design at the Manchester School of Art (1893) and Principal of the Royal College of Art (1898). He died in 1915, shortly after his wife’s suicide.
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  • Details
    Title
    “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”
    Date
    1911
    Medium
    Watercolour on paper
    Dimensions
    height: 35.80 cm, width: 25.30 cm
    Acquisition
    Purchased from Frank Gallery, June 1966
    Inscription
    br: 1911 [either side of] monogram
    Provenance
    Collection of Charles Jerdein; from whom purchased by the Frank Gallery, London, on 26 May 1965, for £115; from whom purchased by the Ministry of Works in June 1966
    GAC number
    7464