This month we feature an example of early 20th century humour, through an illustration by Frank Reynolds (1876 – 1953) entitled ‘Creating a Sensation’.

About the artwork

This painting in mixed media by the illustrator Frank Reynolds probably dates to the early 1900s. A lady in Edwardian dress raises the front of her skirt, possibly to keep it out of a puddle or to dismount from her carriage. In doing so, she reveals her ankles, causing a stir amongst bystanders.

In Victorian times, and going through to the beginning of the First World War in 1914, it would have been considered improper for a respectable lady to show her ankles, and so, for modesty, dress lengths were designed to reach the ground. When war broke out and times were harder, and when women also took on some jobs normally associated at the time with men, hemlines rose for practical reasons. And of course, by the 1920s hemlines rose again, when the ‘flapper’ style came into fashion.

Most probably painted as an illustration for an early 20th century magazine such as ‘Pick-Me-Up’, ‘Punch’ or ‘The Bystander’ it has a true graphic quality whose strong design would shine through, even if printed in a smaller size.

It is interesting to note that a section of the painting has been blocked out in gold. This may be an artistic style influenced by the then contemporary artworks of Gustav Klimt, who famously incorporated areas of gold in his paintings, after a visit in 1903 to Ravenna, where he saw Byzantine artworks using gold leaf. Perhaps the area of gold in this artwork is a comic reference to Klimt’s portrayal of stylish Viennese women.

About the artist

Frank Reynolds was born and lived in London. His father was a picture-framer and occasional landscape artist. Reynolds initially picked up his artistic skills from his father and later studied art in evening classes at an independent art school, Heatherley School of Fine Art.

As a young man, Reynolds also illustrated several of Dickens's novels in water-colour. He was elected a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours in 1903.

From 1906 Frank Reynolds started contributing illustrations for Punch Magazine. It must be noted that at that time, photography in newspapers and magazines was still in its infancy, and readers were familiar with illustrations to accompany articles and news stories. The illustrators of the time, including Frank Reynolds were extremely accomplished artists, although rarely acknowledged, as their work was not considered ‘high art’.

Reynolds went on to become the art editor of Punch from 1921 to 1932.

He also contributed illustrations to the ‘Bystander’ magazine, ‘The Sketch’ and ‘The Illustrated London News’.

In later years Frank Reynolds experimented for the first time with oil paintings, two of which were accepted into the Royal Academy Summer exhibition.

Acknowledgements

Gale Primary Sources (Frank Reynolds obituary, The Times (London) 20 April 1953)
Wikimedia Commons Images
Wikipedia