Mr Widgery, Poet Painter of Dartmoor

Mr F. J. Widgery, Poet/Painter of Dartmoor, c. Nineteenth Century, English School, lithograph on paper. Widgery was best known for his landscapes of Devon, and was chosen as the artist to illustrate the Great Western Railway posters.

Widgery was born in 1861, attended the Exeter Cathedral School, where he then went on to study art. He became a prominent local landscape painter. He also involved himself heavily in local Exeter institutions including the Rotary Club. He became elected to the city council in 1898 and was elected for mayor in 1903. In 1905 he was given Honorary Freedom of Exeter in 1905. Widgery was instrumental to the setting up of the Exeter Pictorial Record Society which recorded much of the cities landscape and environment. He was involved with the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and School of Art, which helped establish himself as an artist. In 1931 he donated his collection of sketches and art to RAMM. He was best known for his watercolours of Devon, Dartmoor and Exmoor. Widgery died on the 27 January 1942 at 81 years of age.

Object Summary

Accession Loan No.
77/1998/2
Category
Fine Art
Collection Class
Prints
Medium
lithograph on paper
Common Name
Mr Widgery, Poet Painter of Dartmoor
Simple Name
print
Inscription Transcription
Mr Widgery, Poet Painter of Dartmoor; O P
Period Classification
Victorian (1837-1901); Inter War (1918-1939)
Production Country
United Kingdom: England
Production Person Surname
English School
Production Year Low
1896
Production Year High
1930

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Mr Widgery, Poet Painter of Dartmoor