The Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers (RE), known until 1991 as the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers, is a leading

art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

institution based in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. The Royal Society of Painter-Etchers, as it was originally styled, was a society of etchers established in London in 1880 and given a

Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

in 1888. Engraving was included within the scope of the Society from 1897, wood-engraving from 1920, coloured original prints from 1957, lithography from 1987 and all forms of creative forward-thinking original printmaking from 1990.

History

The Society was established on 31 July 1880 at 38

Hertford Street Hertford Street is a street in central London's Mayfair district. It runs between a junction with Park Lane and Old Park Lane at its western end, to Curzon Street at its north-east end. In 1771, Anne, Duchess of Cumberland and Strathearn marr ...

, Mayfair, London, as the Society of Painter-Etchers for the promotion of original etching as a creative art form. The first six Fellows, all elected at this formation were Francis Seymour Haden (English, 1818–1910); Heywood Hardy (English, 1852–1926);

Hubert von Herkomer Sir Hubert von Herkomer (born as Hubert Herkomer; 26 May 1849 – 31 March 1914) was a Bavarian-born British painter, pioneering film-director, and composer. Though a very successful portrait artist, especially of men, he is mainly remembered fo ...

RA (German/English, 1849–1914);

Alphonse Legros Alphonse Legros (; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist. He moved to London in 1863 and later was naturalized as British. He was important as a teacher in the British etching ...

(French, 1837–1911);

Robert Walker Macbeth Robert Walker Macbeth (30 September 1848 – 1 November 1910) was a Scottish painter, etcher and watercolourist, specialising in pastoral, pastoral landscape and the rustic genre. His father was a portrait painter named Norman Macbeth and his ...

RA, (Scottish, 1848–1910), and

James Tissot Jacques Joseph Tissot (; 15 October 1836 – 8 August 1902), better known as James Tissot ( , ), was a French painter, illustrator, and caricaturist. He was born to a drapery merchant and a milliner and decided to pursue a career in art at a y ...

(French, 1836–1902).

Samuel Palmer Samuel Palmer Hon.RE (Hon. Fellow of the Society of Painter-Etchers) (27 January 180524 May 1881) was a British landscape painter, etcher and printmaker. He was also a prolific writer. Palmer was a key figure in Romanticism in Britain and p ...

(English, 1805–1881) – one of only two painter-etchers to be granted posthumous Honorary Fellowship of the RE – was terminally ill at the time of the Society's formation, otherwise would have been approached.

James McNeill Whistler James Abbott McNeill Whistler (; July 10, 1834July 17, 1903) was an American painter in oils and watercolor, and printmaker, active during the American Gilded Age and based primarily in the United Kingdom. He eschewed sentimentality and moral a ...

(American, 1834–1903), who was in Venice at the time of the RE's founding, had a row with his brother-in-law, Haden, and was not invited to join. Letters in support were written to the fledgling Society by

Frederick Leighton Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton, (3 December 1830 – 25 January 1896), known as Sir Frederic Leighton between 1878 and 1896, was a British Victorian painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. His works depicted historical, biblical, and clas ...

, then President of the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

John Ruskin John Ruskin (8 February 1819 20 January 1900) was an English polymath a writer, lecturer, art historian, art critic, draughtsman and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He wrote on subjects as varied as art, architecture, Critique of politic ...

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

John Everett Millais Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet ( , ; 8 June 1829 – 13 August 1896) was an English painter and illustrator who was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was a child prodigy who, aged eleven, became the youngest s ...

, and

Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (; ; 12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a u ...

, amongst others. This Society achieved its

granted by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

in 1888 who bestowed on the President a gold chain of office, becoming the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and in 1898 this was enlarged to include Engravers. Fellow, George W. Eve, designed a new Associates and Fellows diploma in 1893 and 1904. By 1911, when HM

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

granted a Charter of Incorporation and Bye-laws, the RE, as it came to be styled, had grown in prestige and became fully established. From 1919, in token of solidarity, Presidents of the

and the

Royal Watercolour Society The Royal Watercolour Society is a British institution of painters working in watercolours. The Society is a centre of excellence for water-based media on paper, which allows for a diverse and interesting range of approaches to the medium of wa ...

(RWS) have been elected Honorary Fellows of the RE. The RE's original motto – "Never Stoop to be a Copyist" – changed to " Nulla Dies Sine Linea" (No Day Without A Line) in 1920. The Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers (formerly Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers) has had thirteen presidents (PRE) since 1880. They were: Sir Francis Seymour Haden (founder and PRE from 1880 to 1910), Professor Sir Francis Job Short (PRE from 1910 to 1938), Professor

Malcolm Osborne Malcolm Osborne (1 August 1880 – 22 September 1963) was a British original printmaker known for his intaglio prints of landscapes, urban views and portraits. Chronology *1 August 1880 born at Frome, Somerset, the fourth son of Alfred Ar ...

MBE (PRE from 1938 to 1962), Professor Robert Austin (PRE from 1962 to 1970),

Paul Drury Paul Drury (14 October 1903 – 19 May 1987) was an artist and printmaker born Albert Paul Dalou Drury, the son of sculptor Alfred Drury. Early life Drury was born in Brockley, south London in 1903. He was educated at Bristol Grammar and Westmin ...

(PRE from 1970 to 1975),

Harry Eccleston Harry Norman Eccleston, OBE (21 January 1923 – 30 April 2010) was an artist from Coseley, Staffordshire (now West Midlands), England. He was the first full-time artist and designer of banknotes at the Bank of England. Artist He trained at Bi ...

OBE (PRE from 1975 to 1989), and

Joseph Winkelman Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...

(PRE from 1989 to 1991), when the Society was renamed. Winkelman continued as president until 1995. Presidents elected by Members after this were Dr David Carpanini (PRE from 1995 to 2003), Anita Klein (PRE from 2003 to 2006), Hilary Paynter (PRE from 2006 to 2011), Dr Bren Unwin (PRE from 2011 to 2013), Mychael Barratt (PRE from 2013 to 2018). Professor Dr David Ferry was elected President of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers in 2018. To support the President and help direct the affairs of the Society there is an RE Council and four RE Officers as outlined in the RE Charter: these are Vice-president Michelle Griffiths (VPRE from 2018), Hon. Treasurer Louise Hayward (since 2019), Hon. Curator (Historian & Archivist) Edward Twohig (since 2021) and current Hon. Secretary of the RE is Professor Timothy Emlyn Jones (since 2022).

Membership

Membership, which was and still is restricted in number in order to make it a mark of distinction, is by election on the basis of work submitted to the Society's Council for peer review. In 1920 membership was expanded to allow artists who created prints from media other than metal, which allowed the election of woodcut artists such as

Gwen Raverat Gwendolen Mary "Gwen" Raverat (née Darwin; 26 August 1885 – 11 February 1957), was an English wood engraver who was a founder member of the Society of Wood Engravers. Her memoir ''Period Piece'' was published in 1952. Biography Gwendolen Ma ...

and Noel Rooke. Another innovation in the same year was the formation of a Print Collectors' Club to be limited to 300 members each of whom received a commissioned annual presentation print by members of the RE. Unusual in any Royal Society was the fact that work by women and men was treated equally from the outset: election based on the quality of work regardless of gender and nationality. Full Fellows are entitled to use the post-nominals RE. Associates, a class of members established in 1887, can use ARE. ARE's are elevated to RE full membership by majority vote election by the RE Council. Notable members (and their date of election to a full fellowship) included:

Mary Nimmo Moran Mary Nimmo Moran (May 16, 1842 – September 25, 1899) was an American landscape printmaking, printmaker, specializing in etchings. Referred to by Mark Spanner on the Arte website as "perhaps the first woman to prove marriage and family were not ...

(1881),

William Strang William Strang (13 February 1859 – 12 April 1921) was a Scottish painter and printmaker, notable for illustrating the works of John Bunyan, Bunyan, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Coleridge and Rudyard Kipling, Kipling. Early life Strang was bor ...

(1881),

Joseph Pennell Joseph Pennell (July 4, 1857 – April 23, 1926) was an American draftsman, etcher, lithographer, and illustrator for books and magazines. A prolific artist, he spent most of his working life in Europe, and developed an interest in landmarks, lan ...

(1882),

(1882), Charles William Sherborn (1884), Herbert Dicksee (1885),

Walter Sickert Walter Richard Sickert (31 May 1860 – 22 January 1942) was a German-born British painter and printmaker who was a member of the Camden Town Group of Post-Impressionist artists in early 20th-century London. He was an important influence on d ...

(1887), Sir David Young Cameron (1895),

Margaret Kemp-Welch Margaret Drury Kemp-Welch (1874 – 15 January 1968) was a British painter and printmaker, mostly of landscape and portraits. She was also a teacher. Biography Kemp-Welch was born in Wandsworth in London, the daughter of Stanley Kemp-Welch ...

(1901), Sir Frank Brangwyn (1903),

Anna Airy Anna Airy (6 June 1882 – 23 October 1964) was an English oil painter, pastel artist and etcher. She was one of the first women officially commissioned as a war artist and was recognised as one of the leading women artists of her generation. E ...

(1908),

Eugène Béjot Eugène Béjot (31 August 1867 – 28 February 1931) was a French etcher. Biography Béjot was born in Paris and studied there at the Académie Julian. He learnt to etch with Henri-Gabriel Ibels in 1891. Béjot's technical skills were alrea ...

(1908), Ernest Stephen Lumsden (1915),

William Walcot William Walcot (10 March 1874 – 21 May 1943) was a Russian-Scottish architect, graphic artist and etcher, notable as a practitioner of refined Art Nouveau (Style Moderne) in Moscow, Russia (as Вильям Францевич Валькот ...

(1920),

Edmund Blampied Edmund Blampied (30 March 1886 – 26 August 1966) was one of the most eminent artists to come from the Channel Islands, yet he received no formal training in art until he was 15 years old. He was noted mostly for his etchings and drypoin ...

(1921),

Gerald Brockhurst Gerald Leslie Brockhurst (31 October 1890 – 4 May 1978) was a British painter and etcher. During the 1930s and 1940s he was celebrated as a portraitist, painting society figures such as Marlene Dietrich and the Duchess of Windsor. Today he is ...

(1921), Robert Austin (1927), Dame Laura Knight (1932), Sir William Russell Flint (1933),

Charles Tunnicliffe Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe, OBE, RA (1 December 1901 – 7 February 1979) was an internationally renowned naturalistic painter of British birds and other wildlife. He spent most of his working life on the Isle of Anglesey. He is popularly ...

(1934), Geoffrey Wedgwood (1934),

Joan Hassall Joan Hassall (3 March 1906 – 6 March 1988) was an English wood engraver and book illustrator. Her subject matter ranged from natural history through poetry to illustrations for English literary classics. In 1972 she was elected the first ...

(1948), James T.A. Osborne (1957),

Gwenda Morgan Gwenda Morgan (1 February 1908 – 9 January 1991) was a British wood engraver. She lived in the town of Petworth in West Sussex. Early life Morgan was born in Petworth, her father having moved there to work at the ironmongers, Austen & Co, ...

(1962), and

Robert Tavener Robert Tavener (6 July 1920 – 12 July 2004) was an English printmaker, illustrator, and teacher. Tavener was born in Hampstead, North London, England. After school, he take an office job and then in 1940 he was called up and joined the Roya ...

(1966). Others were elected as an Associate but did not achieve the full fellowship, such as

Eli Marsden Wilson Eli Marsden Wilson, A.R.E., A.R.C.E. (24 June 1877 – 13 November 1965) was an English artist whose best known works are in etching and mezzotint, covering a wide range of subjects. He had works exhibited at the Royal Academy. Biography Eli M ...

(1907),

John Nicolson John MacKenzie Nicolson (born 23 June 1961) is a Scottish journalist, broadcaster and Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. Nicolson served as the SNP Member of Parliament (MP) for Ochil and South Perthshire from 2019 general election u ...

(1923) and

Salomon van Abbé Salomon van Abbé (31 July 1883 - 28 February 1955), also known as Jack van Abbé or Jack Abbey, was an artist, etcher, and illustrator of books and magazines. Early years Abbé was born in The Netherlands but moved with his family to England w ...

(1923). Since 1980 the Society is based at the

Bankside Gallery Bankside Gallery is a public art gallery in Bankside, London, England. Opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1980, Bankside is an educational charity, situated on the Thames Path just along from Tate Modern. The gallery is home to the Royal Watercol ...

in London.

References and sources

;References ;Sources * Newbolt A.R.E., Sir Francis (1930). ''The History of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers & Engravers, 1880–1930''. London: Publication No. 9, The Print Collector's Club (P.C.C. of The Royal Society of Painter Printmakers) * Hopkinson Hon. R.E., Martin (1999). ''No day without a line. The History of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers, 1880–1999''. Oxford:

Ashmolean Museum The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology () on Beaumont Street in Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University ...

. * Twohig R.E., Edward (2018). Print REbels: Haden-Palmer-Whistler and the Origins of the R.E. (Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers) published by the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers

External links

Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers website

by Joseph Winkelman PPRE {{Authority control 19th-century art groups 1880 establishments in the United Kingdom Arts organizations established in 1880 British artist groups and collectives Organisations based in London with royal patronage Non-profit organisations based in London Cultural organisations based in London London Borough of Southwark Printmaking groups and organizations