Barnett Freedman

ARTIST

Freedman, Barnett

1901 – 1958

Illustrator, painter, printmaker and teacher, Freedman was born to Russian Jewish immigrants living in poverty in the East End of London. In 1916, he worked as draughtsman to a monumental mason, and at the same time took evening classes at St Martin’s School of Art. In 1922, he won a three-year scholarship to the Royal College of Art. In 1928, he joined the staff of the Royal College, and not long afterwards began to teach at the Ruskin School of Art, Oxford. He soon became a pioneer in the revival of colour lithography. He was an Official War Artist in World War II. By the time of his death Freedman had established an enviable reputation as an illustrator and designer of posters, stamps, books and book-jackets. He believed that there was no such thing as commercial art, ‘only good art and bad art’. His first exhibition was held in 1929 at the Literary Bookshop, Bloomsbury. A memorial exhibition was organised by the Arts Council in 1958. Manchester Polytechnic, which holds the Freedman archive, held a major show in 1990. Examples of his work are in the collection of the Tate Gallery.

With thanks to artbiogs.co.uk

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Barnett Freedman

ARTIST

Freedman, Barnett

1901 – 1958

Illustrator, painter, printmaker and teacher, Freedman was born to Russian Jewish immigrants living in poverty in the East End of London. In 1916, he worked as draughtsman to a monumental mason, and at the same time took evening classes at St Martin’s School of Art. In 1922, he won a three-year scholarship to the Royal College of Art. In 1928, he joined the staff of the Royal College, and not long afterwards began to teach at the Ruskin School of Art, Oxford. He soon became a pioneer in the revival of colour lithography. He was an Official War Artist in World War II. By the time of his death Freedman had established an enviable reputation as an illustrator and designer of posters, stamps, books and book-jackets. He believed that there was no such thing as commercial art, ‘only good art and bad art’. His first exhibition was held in 1929 at the Literary Bookshop, Bloomsbury. A memorial exhibition was organised by the Arts Council in 1958. Manchester Polytechnic, which holds the Freedman archive, held a major show in 1990. Examples of his work are in the collection of the Tate Gallery.

With thanks to artbiogs.co.uk

+ Follow works by this artist
+ Share Artist

ARTWORK FOR SALE

SKU: 10601
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Two Vignettes, Design for Siegfried Sassoon’s Memoirs of an Infantry Officer c. 1931
£900
SKU: 10603
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Street Scene at Night
£875
SKU: 10607
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Anna Karenina, Uncoloured Proof, 1951
£200
SKU: 10608
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Anna Karenina, Large Uncoloured Proof, 1951
£200
SKU: 10609
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Epsom Spring Meeting
£975
SKU: 10610
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Ghost Stories
£300
SKU: 10611
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Anna Karenina, 1951
£350
SKU: 7952
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
15-inch Gun Turret, HMS Repulse, 1941
£975
SKU: 11190
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
The farmer and his wife, at the roadside, mid 1920’s
£1,900
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
The Stanhope Street Group, 1926
SKU: 8888
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Couple in a restaurant, mid 1920’s
£2,500
Forthcoming
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Streamers and Heads, Drawing for Festival Poster, 1951
SKU: 8904
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Study for Charade, circa 1936
£3,950
SKU: 9160
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Man Sweeping Terraced House, circa 1926
£1,750
SKU: 9517
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
The Artist’s Wife, Claudia (née Guercio) at Stanhope Street, c.1926
£7,750
SKU: 9518
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Sketch for Portrait of Young Man, mid-1920s
£9,750
SKU: 10084
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Portrait of a young woman looking to her left, 1926
£950

ARCHIVED WORKS

Private
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Theatre, Go By Underground, 1936
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Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Circus – Go By Underground, 1936
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Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Jane Eyre, 1955
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Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Charades, 1937
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Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
The Sleeping Dead, Design for Siegfried Sassoon’s Memoirs of an Infantry Officer, c. 1931
Sold
Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Swaledale, the original painting for the You Can Be Sure of Shell poster, circa 1932
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Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Trench, Design for Siegfried Sassoon’s Memoirs of an Infantry Officer, c. 1931
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Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Night, c. 1931
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Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Bomb Damaged Houses, Design for Siegfried Sassoon’s Memoirs of an Infantry Officer c. 1931
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Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Christmas card, 1954
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Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Claudia Writing by Lamplight
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Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Purim Party, circa 1934
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Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Portrait of Sam Rabin, c. 1925
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Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
East end of London, night time street scene, late 1920’s
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Barnett Freedman (1901 - 1958)
Design for ‘The King’s Stamp’, November 1935.