Frank Holl
1845–1888 · Realism & Academic
Biography
Known for his sensitivity to social problems and his political activity, Frank Holl felt compelled to paint pictures that, as he said, he could “feel”. Newgate was in many ways his most ambitious work, inspired by his direct impressions of the “cage”. “Prisoners accused of all kinds of crimes, swindlers, forgers, child thieves, locked up together, await the outcome of their trials,” he explained. After exhibiting the painting at the Royal Academy in 1878, he was elected an associate of the institution. But the political moralising that became his trademark did not attract buyers, and to make a living he had to turn to portrait painting.
From the page of Newgate: Committed for Trial
