Frank Wright Bourdillon was a British artist, missionary, and clergyman known for his evocative paintings and later for his religious service. His life took an unusual trajectory, shifting from an early career in art to missionary work and religious ministry. He was elected a member of the NEAC in 1889.

Early Life and Education

Bourdillon was born in 1851 in Madras, India (now Chennai) during the British colonial era where his father worked as a British civil servant. Aged 31, Bourdillon enrolled at the prestigious Slade School of Art in London. His artistic ambitions also took him to Paris in 1883, where he spent a year refining his skills. During this period, Paris was a thriving hub for artists, and he would have been exposed to Impressionist and Realist movements, which influenced European art at the time.

 

Artistic Career

After returning from Paris, Bourdillon moved to Cornwall, initially settling in Polperro in 1886 before relocating to Newlyn in 1887, where he became associated with the Newlyn School of Art. In 1889, the same year he was elected a member of the New English Art Club, he lived at Belle Vue House along with Stanhope Forbes and became a particular friend of Norman Garstin whose work he greatly admired.


Bourdillon created romanticised Elizabethan seascapes, landscapes, and figurative paintings, often featuring models dressed in period costumes. His notable works from this time include Across the Beach (1887) and The Jubilee Hat (1887). His paintings of Cornwall captured the county’s atmosphere with a particular focus on light and realism, hallmarks of the Newlyn School. However his career as an artist was relatively short-lived.

 

Transition to Missionary Work

In 1892, at the height of his artistic career, Bourdillon made a dramatic shift in his life. He abandoned painting and decided to become a missionary. He moved to Burdwan, India, in 1896, where he worked as a missionary for five years. During this period, he married Kathleen Edwards, a fellow missionary. His mission work in India was cut short due to ill health, and by 1901, he and his wife had to return to England. His dedication to religious service remained strong, and he became a full-time clergyman.

 

Clerical Life and Later Years

After returning to England, Bourdillon served as a curate in Ramsgate, Kent. His commitment to faith led him to further ecclesiastical roles, and in 1914, he became the Rector of Horton, Gloucestershire, a position he held for nearly a decade. His later years were dedicated to religious service rather than art. He passed away on February 18, 1924, in Little Sodbury, near Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire.

 

Legacy

Though Bourdillon is not as widely remembered as other artists from the Newlyn School, his works remain part of Britain’s late 19th-century artistic landscape.

 

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