Frances Macdonald

Frances Macdonald (12 April 1914 – 5 March 2002), was an English painter known for her panoramic scenes painted in Wales, the south of France and in London during World War II.

Early life

Frances Macdonald was born in Wallasey, Cheshire, the younger of the two daughters of Francis Macdonald, a bank manager, and his wife Jessie. She trained at Wallasey School of Art between 1930 and 1934, before studying at the Royal College of Art until 1938. Whilst at the RCA Macdonald met her future husband, the artist Leonard Appelbee.

World War II At the start of the Second World War, Macdonald intended to volunteer for nursing duties but was surprised to receive a war artist commission, given how recently she had been a student. In all, nineteen works by Macdonald were acquired by WAAC, including Building the Mulberry Harbour, London Docks (1944) which was requested by the Tate for its permanent collection at the end of the war. The Imperial War Museum also has a number of works by Macdonald.

Later life

After the war, Macdonald had her first solo exhibition at the Wildenstein Gallery in 1947. She produced watercolours for Londoner's England in 1947, wrote an illustrated essay for Flowers of Cities in 1949, and made drawings of the South Bank for the London County Council prior to the Festival of Britain. Macdonald taught at Goldsmiths College of Art between 1946 and 1948, took a weekly still life class at Beckenham from 1957 until 1969 and also taught at both the Byan Shaw School and the Ruskin School of Drawing. As well as teaching art, Macdonald also exhibited at the Alfred Brod Gallery in 1961.