Biography
Franklin White (b. Fulham, near Adelaide, Australia 1892 - d. 1975) arrived in England in 1913 on holiday and was inspired by a visit to the National Gallery to paint. He attended Heatherley’s School of Fine Art, then in 1914 did further study in Paris, being accepted at Slade School of Fine Art in 1915. After war work in Admiralty Aircraft Department, drawing bombed enemy planes, he returned to Slade in 1919, then was invited to join the staff by Henry Tonks. During 1920s and 1930s exhibited with The London Group, at Agnew's, The Redfern Gallery and the New Englsh Art Club (NEAC). White retired from the Slade in 1957 and the following year he founded the residential Samuel Palmer School of Art in Shoreham, Kent, where he had made his home, and had held summer art classes for his Slade students since 1924; for some years he was assisted by his son Edmund. White was a mainstream artist and fine draughtsman in the Slade tradition, as shown in centenary exhibition at Bourne Gallery, Reigate, 1992. His work is held by British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, and other public collections.
White's work is held in permanent collections such as HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother’s collection, The British Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, The Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery, The Laing Gallery, Newcastle, and The National Gallery of Australia, Melbourne.
