Portrait of the Artist
Frederick Brown studied at the Royal College of Art and in Paris. He went on to become an influential tutor at the Slade School of Art from 1892 to 1918, alongside Philip Wilson Steer (1860-1942). They were both founder members of the New English Art Club, formed in reaction against the restrictive attitudes of the Royal Academy. Brown was an important collector of his contemporaries' and his pupils' work, and a number of paintings in his collection can be seen behind him in this self-portrait. These images represent his status both as a professional artist and a patron. The picture was painted in the artist's own studio in Richmond. He portrays himself as a well-dressed, distinguished gentleman striking a confident pose.
