Later Victorian Portraits Catalogue

William Strang (1859-1921), Painter and etcher

Self-portraits
Possible self-portrait
Alleged self-portrait
Doubtful self-portrait
By other artists
Doubtful portrait
Photographs
Undated photographs

Self-portraitsback to top


1882
Etched mezzotint, 267 x 216mm, head, nearly profile to right, wearing soft felt hat; ed. of 60. Repr. Newbolt 1907, pl.I; Strang 1912, no.4. Probably not conceived as a self-portrait, but a recognizable likeness.

Etching, plate 202 x 165mm, The Traveller, three-quarter-length, half-profile to left, seated, with stick, hat and cloak; ed. of approx. 40; Glasgow M., PR.1962.8ec. Ref. Strang 1962, no.26 (15). Repr. Strang 1912, no.15; Campbell Fine Art Spring 2000 cat. (327); and Garton 2000, no.20.

Etching, 228 x 176mm, The Fortune Teller, signed on plate lower left ‘W Strang 82’, whole-length, standing with two other figures; BM, London, 1904,0811.34. Ref. Strang 1962, no.48. Publ. with special ed. of Burlington Magazine, vol.2, June–Aug. 1903}.

c.1882
Oil on canvas, 520 x 410mm, signed, head-and-shoulders, three-quarter-profile to right, eyes to front, wearing a brown wide-brimmed hat and white collar; Aberdeen AG, ABDAG003728.

1883
Etching, Self-Portrait no.2, head-and-shoulders, turned to right, wearing jacket and tie; ed. of about 25; coll. Glasgow M., PR.1955.12.qp. Ref. Strang 1962, no.29 (555).

Etching, 152 x 114mm, head-and-shoulders, leaning forwards to left, with profile head of Ernest Sichel lower right; ed. of about 15; NPG D31915, with signature. Ref. Strang 1962, no.43 (29). Repr. Strang 1912, no.29 as ‘Portrait Head’.

Etching, 130 x 98mm, head-and-shoulders, full-face, wearing soft felt hat; ed. of approx. 385; NPG D31916, with inscr. ‘to Arthur Mitchell / from David Strang’. Ref. Strang 1962, no.55 (724).

1885
Etching, 352 x 299mm, Self-portrait No.5, head-and-shoulders, full-face, laughing, wearing wide-brimmed hat; ed. of 6 plus others for publication; colls Glasgow M., PR.1955.12.qt, 2nd state inscr. ‘Wm. Strang to David Strang’; and NGS, Edinburgh. Ref. Strang 1962, no.94 (564).

Etching, plate 203 x 130mm, Self-portrait No.6, half-length, full-face, wearing tam-o’-shanter and holding etching needle; ed. of possibly 25; colls Fitzwilliam M., Cambridge, P.2049-R; Glasgow M., PR.1921.11.i (final state, bequeathed by Strang) and PR.1962.8.ds; and BM, London, 1949,0411.1836, where 199 x 124mm. Ref. Strang 1962, no.116 (97). Exh. William Strang RA, 1859–1921, Painter-Etcher, Sheffield, Glasgow and NPG, London, 1981 (57); repr. Strang 1912, no.97; Binyon 1921, p.351; Dodgson 1933, frontispiece; Strang 1962, frontispiece; Athill & Goodchild 1981, half-title.

1887
Etching, half-length, bare-headed wearing cloak; ed. of about 30. Ref. Strang 1962, no.134 (110).

1889
Drypoint, 225 x 176mm, head, full-face with other sketches including small nude female and sketched male head; ed. of 6–8; BM, London, 1949,0411.1841. Ref. Strang 1962, no.163 (134). Repr. Strang 1912, no.134.

Drypoint, 254 x 305mm, Taking the Oath, half-length, full-face, with nine other figures; ed. of about 30, printed by Frederick Golding; BM, London, 1949,0411.1803. Ref. Strang 1962, no.160 (131). Repr. Strang 1912, no.131.

1890
Drypoint, 210 x 152mm, Self-Portrait 9, head-and-shoulders to left; proofs only; colls BM, London, 1897,1213.28; and Glasgow M., PR.1955.15.k. Ref. Strang 1962, no.174 (595).

Etching, 240 x 164mm, three-quarter-length, seated to left, head only finished, turning to viewer; ed. of about 25; NPG D31917. Ref. Strang 1962, no.188 (154). Repr. Strang 1912, no.154.

1890–1
Etching, 224 x 150mm, signed and dated 1890 in plate, three-quarter-length, wearing smoking-cap with bobble, seated holding book with books and bottles in background; ed. of about 35; NPG D31918. Ref. Strang 1962, no.224 (187), where dated 1891. Repr. Strang 1912, no.187.

1892
Etching, proof only, inscr. ‘Wm. Strang for DS’ (probably 2nd state of 3), head-and-shoulders, turned to left, wearing white collar and black tie; said to be coll. BM, London but not there catalogued under self-portraits. Ref. Strang 1962, no.228 (600).

1894
Etching, 251 x 155mm, Self-portrait 13, half-length, full-face, plate or book on knee, holding etching needle or pencil; ed. of about 25, final state print signed lower right; colls BM, London, 1897,1213.29, where 254 x 175mm; and NPG D1395. Ref. Strang 1962, no.283 (224). Repr. Strang 1912, no.224.

Black chalk, 276 x 236mm, inscr. ‘W.Strang 94’, almost half-length, head to front and looking to right, body turned slightly to left; BM, London, 1897,1213.1.

1895
Pencil drawing, 252 x 194mm, signed and dated in reverse top left and inscr. along bottom ‘To Campbell Dodgson from Wm Strang / Novr.1902’, half-length, full-face, moustache ends curled upwards, holding block or plate; BM, London, 1949,0411.51. Exh. RA Draughtsmen 1769–1969, BM, London, 1969 (34).
From this drawing is derived the etching, 203 x 152mm, Self-portrait 15, signed and dated in plate ‘W.Strang.95’, half-length, moustache ends curled upwards, holding etching tool; ed. of about 15; colls BM, London, 1949,0411.1871; Glasgow M., five impressions: PR.1955.12.hs (2nd state), PR.1960.13.r (presented by Strang to Craig Annan), PR.1962.18.405 (3rd state), PR.1962.18.406 (4th state), and PR.1962.18.407 (final state); LACMA, 83.1.1353n; and Northwestern UM, Evanston, IL, 1985.2.163. Ref. Strang 1962, no.372 (282), where dated 1896. Exh. William Strang RA, 1859–1921, Painter-Etcher, Sheffield, Glasgow and NPG, London, 1981 (69); publ. Pan, vol.2, 1896, no.4, following p.348.

c.1895
Etching, whole-length, standing, hand on hip; ed. of 12. Ref. Strang 325 (608).

Lithograph, plate (?) 251 x 197mm, sheet 546 x 445mm, head-and-shoulders, head down, gaze forwards, probably printed by Thomas Way; BM, London (ref. O’Donoghue 1908–1922, vol.6, 1925, p.395, no.5). Repr. Davids 2000 (159); and Bonhams, 3 Oct. 2005 (219.i) and 29 Mar. 2011 (329.ii).

1896
Etching, 174 x 226mm, On the Road, whole-length, profile to left, right hand to chin, left hand holding stick, as tramp seated on ground; BM, London, 1949,0411.1872. Ref. Strang 1962, no.374.

1897
Drypoint, 165 x 190mm, The Etcher, and Self-portrait 16, signed and dated in plate, half-length, looking up from proofs, tools, ink and printing-press in background; ed. of about 25; BM, London, 1949,0411.1883 and 1949,0411.1884. Ref. Strang 1962, no.422 (328). Repr. MA, 1903, p.181; Newbolt 1907, pl.xxxiii; Strang 1912, no.328.

1898–1902
Drypoint, 164 x 102mm, Self-portrait 17, half-length, full-face, seated with copper-plate on knee; ed. of about 18; BM, London, 1949,0411.1885. Ref. Strang 1962, no.426 (331). Repr. Strang 1912, no.331 (as ‘Man Etching’); Garton & Ash cat., Sept. 1987 (3).

c.1900
Metalpoint, 323 x 204mm, inscr. to Campbell Dodgson, head-and-shoulders, to front; BM, London, 949,0411.2014.

1902
Black and red chalk drawing; see NPG 2927.

c.1905
Oil on canvas, 1070 x 921mm, half-length, full-face, holding brushes and palette and wearing black waistcoat and red fez; NGS, Edinburgh, PG2198. Repr. Gazette des Beaux-Arts, Feb. 1973, supplement p.210, no.755; Smailes 1990, p.287.

1910
Oil on canvas, 609 x 457mm, The red fez, half-length, turned to left, full-face, holding pencil brush in left hand, wearing black jacket and red fez; Glasgow M., 1754.

Drypoint, 251 x 178mm, Self-portrait 18, signed and dated in plate, half-length, body to right, full-face, wearing spectacles and fez; ed. of about 20; BM, London, 1949,0411.1897. Ref. Strang 1962, no.630 (516). Repr. Strang 1912, no.516 (as ‘The Fez’); Davids 2000 (158); Bonhams, 3 Oct. 2005 (219.ii) and 29 Mar. 2011 (329.i).

Drypoint, 200 x 141mm, Self-portrait 19, signed and dated, half-length, full-face, wearing spectacles and wide-brimmed hat, holding pencil and paper; ed. of about 25; colls Aberdeen AG, ABDAG7097; and BM, London, 1949,0411.1898. Ref. Strang 1962, no.633 (519). Repr. Strang 1912, no.519; Dodgson 1933, pl.x; Garton & Cooke cat., 1987 (4). Exh. Divided Selves: The Scottish Self-Portrait from the 17th Century, Talbot Rice G., Edinburgh and Fleming Coll., London, 2006; repr. Hare & Bielecka 2006, pp.18 and 88.

1912
Oil on canvas, 610 x 508mm, half-length, full-face, wearing large-brimmed hat; Tate, N03606.

1914
Oil on canvas, 1020 x 1143mm, The Cafe-Bar, head-and-shoulders, wearing trilby hat and holding cigarette, as background figure in multi-figure composition; Glasgow M., 2549. Exh. International Society autumn 1915; FAS 1921; William Strang RA, 1859–1921, Painter-Etcher, Sheffield, Glasgow and NPG, London, 1981 (24). Repr. Athill & Goodchild 1981, no.24.
A sketch for this work; Glasgow M., 2826.

1917
Oil on canvas: see NPG 4533.

1918
Oil on canvas, 597 x 495mm, signed and dated, quarter-length, nearly full-face, wearing spectacles, dark jacket and white shirt; untraced; ref. Sotheby’s, 18 Jan. 1961 (129); Bonhams, 28 Feb. 1963 (249); and Abbott & Holder 2007.

1919
Oil on canvas, 1168 x 1118mm, three-quarter-length, wearing flat cap, scarf and overcoat, holding palette; Tate, N03629. Exh. RA 1919 (628, as ‘A Painter’); repr. Furst 1921, p.172.

Oil on canvas, 635 x 505mm, quarter-length, nearly full-face, right hand to chest, wearing spectacles, waistcoat, shirt and tie; Fitzwilliam M., Cambridge, 981. Ref. Goodison 1977, p.256. Repr. PCF (Fitzwilliam) 2006, p.175.

c.1919
Oil on canvas, 533 x 381mm, quarter-length, nearly full-face, wearing spectacles, black jacket and black high-crown trilby; NGS, Edinburgh, PG966. Repr. Smailes 1990, p.287.


Possible self-portraitback to top


1883
Etching, 203 x 152mm, Man with a Cloak, half-length, half-profile to left, hands clasped, wearing soft hat and gathered cape; ed. of about 40. Repr. Strang 1912, no.23.


Alleged self-portraitback to top


1891
Etching, 254 x 305mm, Socialists, half-length, standing in group; ed. of about 90. Ref. Strang 1962, no.225 (188). Repr. Strang 1912, no.188; and Athill & Goodchild 1981, no.64.


Doubtful self-portraitback to top



Pencil drawing, 230 x 157mm, head, profile to left; untraced. Repr. Peter Nahum at The Leicester Galleries where dated c.1902, but format quite unlike other self-portraits and moustache does not look right.


By other artistsback to top



1897
Pencil caricature drawing by William Rothenstein, whole-length, seated on ground, sketching; untraced. Ref. Rothenstein 1926, no.101.

Lithograph, 382 x 282mm, by William Rothenstein, signed and dated, half-length, half-profile to left, drawing or engraving on small block; NPG D20901; BM, London (ref. O’Donoghue 1908–1922, vol.4, p.208, no.1). Ref. Rothenstein 1926, no.76 (where dimensions given as 225 x 197mm).

Watercolour or oil sketch, oval format, by William Rothenstein, head-and-shoulders, profile to right; untraced; known from photograph, NPG SB (Strang).

1903
Bronze bust, 584mm high, by George Frampton, signed and dated, head and neck; colls AWG, London; and RA, London, 03/1721. Exh. RA 1903 (1741); William Strang RA, 1859–1921, Painter-Etcher, Sheffield, Glasgow and NPG, London, 1981 (95); repr. Cassell’s RA Pictures 1903, p.140; Massé 1935, pl.7; and Apollo, Jan. 1969, p.61. A shadowy image of this bust is seen in Strang’s reciprocal portrait of Frampton, coll. AWG, London.

1907
Caricature drawing by Max Beerbohm; untraced. Ref. Hart-Davis 1972, no.1609. Exh. Carfax G., 1907.


Doubtful portraitback to top


1889
Pencil drawing on tinted paper 267 x 203mm by Alphonse Legros, signed and dated, head, profile to left; untraced. Ref. FAS, 1978.


Photographsback to top



c.1862
Photograph by unidentified photographer, Dumbarton, aged 2–3, whole-length, standing with father and elder brother; priv. coll.; image in NPG SB (Strang) via Glasgow M.

before 1899
Photograph by T. & R. Annan & Sons, Glasgow, head-and-shoulders, full-face, wearing loosely-knotted tie. Repr. The Year’s Art 1898, facing p.148.

1902
Carbon print, 362 x 292mm, by James Craig Annan, The Etching Printer – William Strang A.R.A, half-length, profile to left, holding etching plate in studio-workshop; coll. AWG, London, ‘Portraits of Old Brethren’, vol.2, p.25. Exh. The Photographic Salon, London, 1902 (191); William Strang RA, 1859–1921, Painter-Etcher, Sheffield, Glasgow and NPG, London 1981 (ex-cat); repr. Buchanan 1992, p.21. This is the original image from which the 1902 photogravure was made: see NPG P357.
According to Carter (1902, p.125), a second photograph by Annan of ‘the famous etcher’ (Strang) was shown at the Photographic Salon 1902 (106). This untraced image seems to have been different to that credited to the Annan firm in 1898 (see above), which is a conventional studio portrait rather than a ‘daring experiment’ with the appearance of an etching, as claimed by Carter.

1908–9
Photographs by James Craig Annan, wearing academic gown for honorary doctorate, three known poses:
(a) half-length, full-face, hands clasped; Annan Archive, Glasgow.
(b) three-quarter-length, profile to left, standing; Annan Archive, Glasgow.
(c) copy print, 210 x 158mm, half-length, full-face, right hand to neck; NGS, Edinburgh.

1909
Photographs by Emil Otto Hoppé taken in sitter’s studio, two known poses:
a) half-length, profile to left, looking down at etching tool and plate; formerly Mansell Coll. Exh. William Strang RA, 1859–1921, Painter-Etcher, Sheffield, Glasgow and NPG, London, 1981 (ex-cat) and Hoppé Portraits: Society, Studio and Street, NPG, London, 2011 (no cat. no.); repr. Pepper and Prodger 2011, p.87
(b) half-length, profile to left, beside clay statuette of ?satyr; formerly Mansell Coll.; ref. Hoppé neg. no.1255.

c.1914?
Platinum print, 157 x 126mm, by Malcolm Arbuthnot, inscr. ‘To Sir Isidore Spielmann from Wm Strang’, half-length, to front, torso to left, wearing dark suit with watch-chain before vertically striped wall or curtain; NPG x12826. Exh. William Strang RA, 1859–1921, Painter-Etcher, Sheffield, Glasgow and NPG, London, 1981 (ex-cat).

Undated photographsback to top


Photographs by unidentified photographers, in group portraits of AWG members, two known poses:
(a) half-length, profile to right, at table with eight other members, including George Frampton, handling ceramic jugs; coll. AWG, London.
(b) whole-length, seated, left hand to chin, with six other members, painting stage backcloth; coll. AWG, London.

Dr Jan Marsh