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Walter Crane was born in Liverpool on 15 Aug 1845, second son of the portrait painter Thomas Crane and his wife Marie née Kearsley. The family moved first to Torquay, and in 1857 to London. From 1859-62 Crane was apprenticed to the wood engraver William James Linton, although he studied painting at the same time. In 1862 his painting 'The Lady of Shalott' was accepted by the Royal Academy. By the mid-1860s, Crane was illustrating children's books including coloured picture books designed in collaboration with Edmund Evans, including the series of 'Toy Books' Evans was producing for Routledge.
Crane was influenced by the Aesthetic Movement and by Japanese prints, as well as the Pre-Raphaelites and in particular Edward Burne-Jones. By the 1870s, Crane was involved in decorative design including creating ceramics (for Wedgwood, Pilkington and Maw and Co.), wallpapers (for Jeffrey and Co.), and textiles as well as exhibiting paintings. In 1881 he became friends with William Morris who was also influenced by Ruskin's ideas on beauty and utility in art and the dignity of the craftsman. Crane was instrumental in promoting the Art Worker's Guild, and became its first President in 1884. He later served for two periods as President of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society. He joined the Socialist League in 1883. He acted as Director of the Manchester School of Art from 1893-1896, was appointed Art Director of Reading College in 1896, and was appointed Principal of the Royal College of Art in 1898.
Crane published works on art, design and decoration, including 'The Decorative Illustration of Books' (1896), 'The Bases of Design' (1898), and 'Line and Form'. In addition, he collaborated with William Morris at the Kelsmcott Press on wood-engravings for publications including 'The Story of the Glittering Plain' (1894). As a painter, he exhibited at the Royal Academy, Dudley Art Gallery and the New Gallery amongst others. Important canvases include 'The Renaissance of Venus' (1877), 'The Bridge of Life' (1884), 'The Mower' (1891) and 'Neptune's Horses' (1893).
He married Mary Frances Andrews in 1871, and had two sons (one of whom was called Lionel) and a daughter (Beatrice). Crane died at Horsham on 14 March 1915, three months after his wife Mary had been killed by a train.