Frederick Richard Pickersgill, R.A. before 1882

This photogravure of Frederick Richard Pickersgill was made by Lock and Whitfield and included in “Men of Mark: A Gallery of Contemporary Portraits” from around 1876. The image and accompanying text were published in London at a time when the art world was becoming increasingly professionalized. Pickersgill was a Royal Academician, meaning he belonged to the Royal Academy of Arts, a powerful institution that has, since 1768, shaped British art through training, exhibitions, and patronage. Pickersgill’s own art followed the Academy’s preferences, favoring historical and literary subjects painted with careful attention to detail and dramatic storytelling. The very existence of this book speaks to a shift in the social status of artists. It suggests the growing recognition and celebrity afforded to successful artists during the Victorian era. To understand Pickersgill, one might look at exhibition reviews and Royal Academy records. The meaning of his art lies in his institutional affiliations and the social conditions that made possible this very publication.