William Parkinson, sculptor, Gold Medal Winner 1901
A sculpture student at the Blackheath School of
Art, William Parkinson, was awarded a gold medal for his Studies of Historic Styles of Ornament in 1901.[1]
Parkinson won a number of awards for his art works at the school in the
following years –
1901 – in addition to the gold medal he won a silver medal
for Designs Based on a Flowering Plant.[2]
1902 – two book prizes for Ornament Modelled from the Flat
and Flowers and Foliage Modelled from Nature.[3]
1903 – silver medal for Model of a Figure in Relief from a
Figure Cast in the Round[4]
and a bronze medal for Model of a Figure
from the Antique[5]
1904 – bronze medal for Chalk Drawing of a figure from the
Antique[6]
Perhaps the most important legacy of his student years at the
school that survives today is the illustration on page 24 of the 1903 award
book depicting his silver medal winning work depicting a nude male figure. Its
essentially classical appearance is betrayed only by the figure’s early
twentieth century hairstyle and side-burns.
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Parkinson’s skill was highlighted in the comments by the
judges although overall the work in this category was felt not to be of the
highest standard:
The work in this subject, on the whole, is very weak, and
the only award the Examiners are able to make is that of a Silver Medal to
William Parkinson, of Blackheath School of Art, for the carefulness of drawing
and the thorough appreciation of relief treatment shown in his work.[7]
It may already become apparent that the history of the early
years of the school of art depends greatly upon the review of the student
exhibition of 1904. The review in the case of Parkinson highlights what the
reviewer thought of the standard of sculpture produced at the school. Despite
winning a bronze medal in 1902 Parkinson is not mentioned by name and the
reviewer highlighted that there was nothing of ‘special ability’ outside of
pure academic style in the field of modelling.[8]
As yet I have not been able to find anything more about
whether William Parkinson continued working as a sculptor after he left the
school. Surprisingly, to me anyway, the name William Parkinson is rather common
in Kent (also Greenwich) during the early 1900’s. Assuming that William Parkinson
was born circa 1880 (so that he would have been in his late teens, early
twenties at the school) I have come across the following in the 1911 census –
William Parkinson, age 31, Soap Boiler, 23 Hatcliffe Street,
Greenwich
William J Parkinson, age 35, Sorter Post Office, 107
Ilderton Road, Rotherhithe
Henry William Parkinson, age 33, Carmen (local transport?),
4 Topham Place, Prior Street, Greenwich
William Parkinson, age 24, Milkman Dairyman, 40 Staunton
Street, Deptford
William C Parkinson, age 34, Mariner, Merchant Service, 9
The Grove, Gravesend
Hopefully in time it might become apparent what happened to
William Parkinson and whether he continued a career as an artist. I will update
this entry when anything further comes to light
[1] ‘1901
Catalogue of National Art Awards’, The
Artist: An Illustrated Monthly Record of Arts, Crafts and Industries (American
Edition), Volume 31. p. 76.
[2]
loc. cit. p. 79.
[3] National Competition 1902, List of Students
Awarded, 1902, p. 10.
[4] National Competition 1903, List of Students
Awarded, 1903, p. 7.
[5]
loc. cit. p. 8.
[6] National Competition 1904, List of Students
Awarded, 1904, p. 7.
[7]
loc. cit. p. 25.
[8]
“Art Exhibitions: Blackheath School of Art”, Arts & Crafts Magazine, vol. 1-2, Hutchinson & Company,
1904, p.325.
