Frederick Timpson I'Ons (15 November 1802 in

Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...

– 18 December 1887 in Grahamstown) was a British-born Cape Colony painter, one of the eight children of John I'Ons, who was master of a riding school in Islington. I'Ons showed an early aptitude for drawing, was influenced by, and became a friend of the sculptor John Francis and his daughter Mary, who married another sculptor,

Thomas Thornycroft Thomas Thornycroft (19 May 1815 – 30 August 1885) was an English sculptor and engineer. Biography Thornycroft was born at Great Tidnock, near Gawsworth, Cheshire, the eldest son of John Thornycroft, a farmer. He was educated at Congleton Gr ...

. He later ran an art school in Marylebone where he taught drawing, painting, and commercial subjects. On 31 May 1827 Frederick I'Ons married Ann Frazer, whose ill-health led in 1834 to the young couple's emigrating to the Albany district of Grahamstown. They arrived at the start of the Sixth Frontier War, prompting Frederick to volunteer his services. This date marks the first of his 'Aquila Caricatures', a series of informative though jocularly offensive barbs directed at

Andries Stockenström Sir Andries Stockenström, 1st Baronet, (6 July 1792 in Cape Town – 16 March 1864 in London) was lieutenant governor of British Kaffraria from 13 September 1836 to 9 August 1838. His efforts in restraining colonists from moving into Xhosa ...

, the

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British Kaffraria British Kaffraria was a British colony/subordinate administrative entity in present-day South Africa, consisting of the districts now known as Qonce and East London. It was also called Queen Adelaide's Province. The British Kaffraria was establish ...

at the time. The patrons of I'Ons were largely military types who commissioned portraits of the local Xhosa chiefs, such as Sandile and Khama. I'Ons was outstanding in depicting the

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and Hottentot passers-by. The images of these 'native characters' are regarded as his most important works, reflecting a great deal of sensitivity and skill in their portrayal, and likened to those of Adriaen van Ostade. As is often the case with artists who have to produce

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to survive, their best work is neglected in the interests of financial exigencies. Except for his short association with John Francis, I'Ons had no formal training in art. Still, his landscapes of the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

have the charm usually encountered in naïve art with woodland scenes reminiscent of Watteau. Even so, his landscapes are sometimes criticised as being gloomy and uninspired. He eked out his income by painting stage decor, portraits of notable Grahamstown residents and giving art classes. A trip to the diamond diggings at

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did not improve his fortunes. His works provide an important insight into frontier life in the 1800s, and have been exhibited by the Tate Gallery in London (1948), the South African National Gallery in Cape Town (1976), and King George VI Gallery in Port Elizabeth (1990). His paintings may be found in private and corporate ownership, and at museums and galleries like the

Africana Museum Museum Africa or MuseuMAfricA (formerly known as the Africana Museum) is an historical museum in Newtown, Johannesburg, South Africa. History The museum was established in 1933, when the Johannesburg Public Library bought a large quantity of ...

, Albany Museum, Fort Beaufort Historical Museum,

King George VI Art Gallery Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum was opened on 22 June 1956 as the King George VI Art Gallery. It is located in St George's Park in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. It was renamed in December 2002 in honour of Nelson Mandela and in line with ...

, South African National Gallery, the University of Stellenbosch, the William Fehr Collection, William Humphreys Art Gallery and the 1820 Settlers Memorial Museum.

Bibliography

*''Frederick I'Ons - Artist'' - Redgrave (J.J.) & Bradlow (Edna)(Maskew Miller, Cape Town, 1958)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:IOns, Frederick Timpson 1887 deaths 1802 births Cape Colony painters 19th-century British male artists