About Sir George James Frampton

Sir George James Frampton (1860–1928)
A Master of the New Sculpture Movement

Portrait of Sir George James Frampton, by hi son Meredith Frampton, Oil on canvas, 1919, National Portrait Gallery (NPG 6339).

Sir George James Frampton was a British sculptor renowned for his contributions to the New Sculpture movement, blending realism, dynamism, and symbolism in his works. He is best known for his iconic statue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, commissioned by J.M. Barrie in 1912.

Born in London in 1860, Frampton was the son of James Frampton, a skilled wood and stone carver. After working in his father’s workshop at the age of 18, seeking further experience, he moved to Paris to work on the Hôtel de Ville.

Upon returning to London, he enrolled at the Lambeth School of Art, where he studied under W.S. Frith before advancing to the Royal Academy Schools (1881–1887). His first exhibit at the RA in 1884 was Socrates Teaching the People in the Agora. His talent quickly became evident, earning him a gold medal and a travel scholarship in 1887.

His scholarship took him to Paris, where he studied sculpture under the renowned Antonin Mercié (1845–1916) and painting under Pascal-Adolphe-Jean Dagnan-Bouveret (1852–1929) and Gustave Courtois (1852-1923).  Mercié introduced him to Romanticism and Symbolism, themes that would later define much of his work. During this period, he exhibited with the Vienna and Munich Secessions as well as Libre Esthétique. His Angel of Death gained him a medal at the Salon of 1889.

Returning to England, Frampton became a leading figure in the Arts and Crafts movement. He was appointed joint head of the London Central School of Art, a position he held throughout the 1890s. His work during this time was experimental, often featuring a combination of materials such as bronze, marble, ivory, and enamels. His Mysteriarch (1892), now in the Walker Art Gallery, exemplifies his mature Symbolist aesthetic.

Frampton was closely associated with the New Sculpture movement, alongside artists like Sir Alfred Gilbert and Hamo Thornycroft. This movement sought to infuse naturalism, movement, and rich symbolism into British sculpture, breaking away from the rigid neoclassicism of the past.

His polychromatic bust Lamia (1899), incorporating ivory, jewels, and bronze, showcased his mastery of mixed materials and became one of his most celebrated works. His reputation continued to rise, leading to commissions for memorials to Queen Victoria in Calcutta, Winnipeg, Merseyside, and Leeds.

Elected a Royal Academician in 1904 and knighted in 1908 for his contributions to British sculpture, he was later elected President of the Royal Society of Sculptors in 1911.

In 1912, J.M. Barrie commissioned Frampton to sculpt Peter Pan, creating one of his most famous works. The bronze statue was secretly erected in Kensington Gardens overnight, allowing it to appear as if placed there by magic. Barrie announced the installation in The Times:

“There is a surprise in store for the children who go to Kensington Gardens to feed the ducks in the Serpentine this morning … a May-day gift by Mr. J.M. Barrie, a figure of Peter Pan blowing his pipe on the stump of a tree.”

The statue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, London. Source Wikipedia, Public Domain

Due to its overwhelming success, Frampton produced six other full-size casts, now displayed in Brussels, New Jersey, Toronto, St. John’s (Newfoundland), and Perth (Australia).

Frampton’s other works include the tympanum and panels at Lloyd’s Registry and the Sir James Fleming Memorial Plaque. His war memorials, including the Bury Boer War Memorial and the Radley School Memorial.

He was married to Christabel Cockerell (1864-1951), a painter, and their son, Meredith Frampton (1894-1984), became a renowned portrait artist. Frampton passed away in 1928, leaving behind a legacy of artistic excellence.  A memorial to Frampton can be found in St. Paul’s Cathedral, depicting a child holding a miniature version of his beloved Peter Pan.

Memorial to George Frampton at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, by Ernest Gillick (1874-1951). Source Wikipedia, Public Domain

Literature:
British Sculpture 1850-1914, The Fine Art Society. Exhibition Catalogue, 30 September-30 October 1968, E.C. Freeman Ltd., London 1968, no. 51. J. Cooper, Nineteenth Century Romantic Bronzes, London 1975, p.85.
B. Read, Victorian Sculpture, Yale University Press, 1982, pp.315-317.
Royal Academy exhibitors, 1905-1970, Volume II, Wakefield, p. 106.
M. Trusted & D. Bilbey, British Sculpture 1470 to 2000 : A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2002, pp. 266 & 267.
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