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Frederick Edward McWilliam RA HRUA (1909-1992)
Frederick Edward McWilliam was an incredibly diverse artist who worked in a wide range of media – bronze,
stone, wood and even works on paper – examples of which are represented in this sale. McWilliam did not limit
himself to any single approach or movement and his constant experimentation with media and style is charac-
teristic of this exploratory attitude.
McWilliam was at the centre of an interesting and talented group of British and Irish artists in the mid 20th
century. He met Henry Moore through his friend George McCann while he was still a second-year student at
the Slade School of Fine Art, and they became good friends. Parallels in subject matter and formal exploration
can be traced throughout their careers and Moore was a role model and mentor of sorts to McWilliam. He also
proved instrumental in determining the context in which McWilliam’s work would be viewed, Surrealist rather
than Abstract. His influence can particularly be seen in works such as
Woman with Arms Crossed
.
George McClelland was introduced to F.E. McWilliam through the artist’s London dealer, Victor Waddington,
and this led to a significant exhibition of McWilliam’s Women of Belfast series in 1973. McWilliam also made
lasting friendships with other artists living and working in London at the same time. He shared a studio with
John Luke while they were both students at the Slade, and his inner circle included Francis Bacon and William
Scott. He encouraged Tony O’Malley’s career by approaching the Arts Council of Northern Ireland on his behalf
and also introducing him to George McClelland, who would do much to promote him.
Throughout his career, McWilliam tended to work in series, exploring a theme in a succession of variations.
Characteristic of his pre and post-war sculpture was his exploration of ‘the complete fragment’, the part standing
for the whole, in works described by their titles including:
Mandible
(1938) and
Eye, Nose and Cheek
(1939; Tate
Collection). His later Legs series, including
Legs Static
and
Umbilicus
, was a more playful excursion into the
same territory.
While much of his sculpture focuses on his own artistic concerns there is an element of social engagement run-
ning through it. A large part of his career was devoted to public sculpture and these significant works have made
a lasting impact in their locations in universities and hospitals in particular. He taught sculpture at the Slade and
exhibited all over the world, and although he left Banbridge in 1928, he never forgot his Irish connections. His
sculptures are visually intriguing, expressive and imaginative. While often Surrealist in tone, they always retain
an inherent humanity at their core.
