Arthur James F. Bond

Arthur James F. Bond, R.S.M.A. (1888 - 1958) was an English artist who worked in oils, watercolour and etching. [Johnson, J. "The Dictionary of British Artists 1880-1940" (Antique Collectors Club, 1980) p.65]

Life and Work

Arthur Bond was born June 1888 in Devonport, Devon, England. His father, Richard Bond was the Vicar of St James' Church, Devonport and the family lived in the large vicarage adjacent. [1891 England Census] Being the son of a vicar meant that Bond had a fairly privileged upbringing - the family had three domestic servants and when he was of age Arthur was sent to King's College, Taunton, a prestigious boarding school. [1901 England Census]

After leaving school, Arthur Bond moved to London to concentrate on his artistic career, studying art at Heatherley's, at Goldsmiths' College and at the Central School of Arts and Crafts. [Waters, G.M. "Dictionary of British Artists Working 1900 - 1950" (Eastbourne Fine Art, 1975)] He first London address was in St Margarets-on-Thames, before moving to Twickenham in 1913, then Barnes, before settling in leafy Richmond, 1918. Like many artists, the city proved a muse for Arthur Bond which is evident in his numerous etchings and paintings of the capital. Bond also favoured maritime subjects, elected a member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists and the Wapping Group of Artists. He established a studio on Gravesend Pier in the same building used by Thames river pilots. [Banning, P. "The Wapping Group of Artists: Sixty Years of Painting by the Thames (Published by Sheridan House, Inc., 2005)"] During 1956 this pier-head studio became the setting for a number of Wapping Group invited meetings where members could chat to many of the pilots. [Banning, P. "The Wapping Group of Artists: Sixty Years of Painting by the Thames (Published by Sheridan House, Inc., 2005)"] Bond exhibited often in the capital, with six paintings shown at the Royal Academy between 1912 - 1918. ["Royal Academy Exhibitors 1905-1970, Vol I" (EP Publishing LTD, 1979)]

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