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| Phil May in 1898 by Alexander Bassano half-plate glass negative © National Portrait Gallery, London |
Sometimes referred to as the ‘grandfather of British illustration’, Phil May was one of the most influential black-and-white artists of his generation. Earthy, street-wise, and redolent of the music hall, his work is the antithesis of that of Aubrey Beardsley.
Phil May was born in New Wortley, Leeds, UK, in 1864. His father, an unsuccessful brass founder from landowning stock, died when May was only nine years old, leaving him to struggle for survival. His schooling was terminated four years later and he had to take various jobs in offices and warehouses. His mother had strong theatrical contacts, and he eventually found work as an assistant scene painter at the Grand Theatre.
At the same time, he made his first periodical contributions to the Yorkshire Gossip, a newspaper that lasted just two weeks. In 1879, May joined the touring theatrical company with which he remained for three years. Playing small parts, he also made caricatures of his fellow actors, some of which were used for advertising posters while others were sold at a shilling each. The work of this period bears the influence of Linley Sambourne, Caran d’Ache and Carlo Pellegrini (‘Ape’).
May said of his early days: ‘I never had a drawing lesson in my life, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t draw ... When I was sixteen I made up my mind to come to London ... I had no friends and no introductions ... But in six months, I worked for Society, the Penny Illustrated, St Stephen’s Review and the Pictorial World. While deputising for Matt Morgan, the political cartoonist of the St Stephen’s Review, he was spotted by an Australian talent scout and offered a contract with the Sydney Bulletin. He sailed in November 1885, and so entered the period in which he developed his professionalism; he completed nearly 900 drawings, cartoons, caricatures and joke illustrations while working on the newspaper.
May said of his early days: ‘I never had a drawing lesson in my life, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t draw ... When I was sixteen I made up my mind to come to London ... I had no friends and no introductions ... But in six months, I worked for Society, the Penny Illustrated, St Stephen’s Review and the Pictorial World. While deputising for Matt Morgan, the political cartoonist of the St Stephen’s Review, he was spotted by an Australian talent scout and offered a contract with the Sydney Bulletin. He sailed in November 1885, and so entered the period in which he developed his professionalism; he completed nearly 900 drawings, cartoons, caricatures and joke illustrations while working on the newspaper.
May returned to England in 1888. He arrived in London, penniless and in need of work, at an opportune moment. In his absence, the majority of British magazines had begun to make use of photomechanical methods of reproduction and were able to include an increased number of drawn illustrations. New talent was much sought after. He renewed his connection with the St Stephen’s Review and in 1890 began to illustrate its comic serial ‘Parson and Painter’. This account of London social events seen through the eyes of a country parson and his artist nephew was an overnight success; May was immediately employed by the newly-founded Daily Graphicand sent to Chicago to cover its World Fair. And then, when published in book form in 1891, Parson and Painter sold out in its first edition of 30,000 copies, making Phil May a household name. He launched his own annual, which ran until 1905, and in 1895 joined the staff of Punch. He was elected to the membership of the New English Art Club, the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours, and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. In 1896, he might have been elected an Associate of the Royal Academy had his sponsor Lord Leighton not died.
May had much admiration for the recently deceased Punch artist, Charles Keene whom he dubbed ‘the daddy of the lot of us’ but even in his caption-less drawings, May was intrinsically the funnier of the two. In turn, he himself was sometimes called ‘the grandfather of British Illustration’ and was very influential upon the next generation of draughtsmen, especially such colleagues of the London Sketch Club as Bert Thomas and Frank Reynolds. They learned both from his stylistic qualities and from his approach to society, which was coloured by a lack of snobbishness best exemplified by his Guttersnipes (1896).
Apparently spontaneous, May’s economical ink drawings were in fact the product of a careful refining process which began with detailed studies and ended with a few lines; Whistler is believed to have said that ‘black-and-white art is summed up in two words – Phil May’. Yet May also used wash with extreme subtlety, and showed himself to be an exquisite colourist in his European studies (he had returned to Rome in 1892 and also stayed in Holland, on the last occasion just a few months before his death).
The Holland Park studio from which May worked gave a clear indication of his flamboyant, bohemian character. It was decorated in the style japonais, with prints by Hokusai, but was further embellished by hanging plaster limbs. It was a fashionable surrounding, for May had established himself as a star, but nevertheless he remained perpetually ‘hard up’. Genial and generous to both friends and spongers, he was also an alcoholic. As a result, he died at home, at Melina Place, St John’s Wood, of cirrhosis of the liver and tuberculosis on 5 August 1903 at the age of 39. The Leicester Galleries held a memorial show of his work in October 1903 as its opening exhibition.
His work is represented in numerous public collections, including the British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate and the Victoria &Albert Museum, Leeds Art Gallery; and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the National Library of Australia.
May had much admiration for the recently deceased Punch artist, Charles Keene whom he dubbed ‘the daddy of the lot of us’ but even in his caption-less drawings, May was intrinsically the funnier of the two. In turn, he himself was sometimes called ‘the grandfather of British Illustration’ and was very influential upon the next generation of draughtsmen, especially such colleagues of the London Sketch Club as Bert Thomas and Frank Reynolds. They learned both from his stylistic qualities and from his approach to society, which was coloured by a lack of snobbishness best exemplified by his Guttersnipes (1896).
Apparently spontaneous, May’s economical ink drawings were in fact the product of a careful refining process which began with detailed studies and ended with a few lines; Whistler is believed to have said that ‘black-and-white art is summed up in two words – Phil May’. Yet May also used wash with extreme subtlety, and showed himself to be an exquisite colourist in his European studies (he had returned to Rome in 1892 and also stayed in Holland, on the last occasion just a few months before his death).
The Holland Park studio from which May worked gave a clear indication of his flamboyant, bohemian character. It was decorated in the style japonais, with prints by Hokusai, but was further embellished by hanging plaster limbs. It was a fashionable surrounding, for May had established himself as a star, but nevertheless he remained perpetually ‘hard up’. Genial and generous to both friends and spongers, he was also an alcoholic. As a result, he died at home, at Melina Place, St John’s Wood, of cirrhosis of the liver and tuberculosis on 5 August 1903 at the age of 39. The Leicester Galleries held a memorial show of his work in October 1903 as its opening exhibition.
His work is represented in numerous public collections, including the British Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate and the Victoria &Albert Museum, Leeds Art Gallery; and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the National Library of Australia.
This is part 1 of a 22-part series on the works of Phil May:
1864-1903 Mr. Punch in Bohemia; or, The lighter side of literary, artistic and professional life (published c1910):
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| Songs and their singers |
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| Mrs. Mashem. "Bull-bull and I have been sitting for our photographs as 'Beauty and the Beast'!"... |
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| The Dumas Craze |
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| Songs and their singers |
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| Publisher (impatiently). "Well sir, what is it?"... |
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| Songs and their singers |
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| Songs and their singers |
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| Horse Dealer "Did that little mare I sold you do for you, sir?" Nervous Horseman. "Nearly!" |
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| Brown (as Hamlet) to Jones (as Charles the Second). "Normous amount of taste displayed here to-night!" |
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| Songs and their singers |
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| Songs and their singers |
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| Photographer. "I think this is an excellent portrait of your wife."... |
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| The Great Prize Fight. |
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| Without Prejudice... |
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| Scrimble. "So sorry I've none of my work to show you... |
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| Little Guttersnipe (who is getting used to posing). "Will yer want me ter tike my bun down?" |
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| Brown. "Pity Jones has lost - his figure!" Robinson. "Not lost, but gone before!" |
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| Enthusiastic Briton... |
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| 1873 William Ewart Gladstone MP pencil 33 x 24 cm |
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| c1880s Sir Henry Irving pen and ink 21.8 x 15.1 cm National Portrait Gallery, London |
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| c1882 Phil May's Bust. Has he? pen and ink 11.4 x 4.2 cm The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1883 William Ewart Gladstone pen and ink 17.8 x 21.6 cm National Portrait Gallery, London |
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| c1884-1903 An April Fool pen and black ink over traces of graphite, on ivory wove paper 13.6 x 8.7 cm Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| c1884-1903 Portrait of Paul Maitland, Artist pen and black ink on ivory laid paper 17.7 x 11.3 cm Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| c1884-1903 Sketches at the Association Cup Football Match pen and black ink over traces of blue pencil on ivory wove paper 19.9 x 14 cm Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| c1885-1903 The Hoffman House Saloon pen and ink 25.2 x 31 cm The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
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| 1886 The Drawing Master pencil and watercolour on paper 24.4 x 18.1 cm Tate, London |
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| c1886-88 Sir Henry Parkes pencil, watercolour, black and white gouache, gum on grey-green paper 23 x 17.7 cm Art Gallery of New South Wales, Australia |
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| 1889 "I'm sorry to see you coming out of a Public-House my man." "It'sh not my fault governor. They chucked me out (hic)" ink on card |
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| 1889 Humourous Scene of London Life in the East End pen and brown ink over graphite, with touches of white gouache, on ivory wove paper 25.8 x 19.8 cm Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| 1889 John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry silhouette 17.8 x 11.4 cm National Portrait Gallery, London |
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| 1889 Sir John Dugdale Astley, 3rd Bt silhouette 17.5 x 11.1 cm National Portrait Gallery, London |
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| 1889-90c (Old lady and two men) pen and ink on paper 20 x 15.2 cm Tate, London |
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| c1889-90 Barney Sheppard Sings in the Gloaming ink and chalk on paper 16.8 x 26.4 cm Tate, London |
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| c1889-90 I define the Criminal Characteristics in physiognomy of Chas Peace ink on paper 16 x 19 cm Tate, London |
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| 1891 The Noble Art |
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| 1892 Act 1. "Wait for me" Act 2. Waited |
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| 1892 Nervous Pupil; "When do you think I shall go on the road?" Riding Master: "Very soon, if you don't sit better than that." |
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| 1892 Study for Cover pen and black ink over traces of graphite on ivory wove card 26.5 x 19.2 cm Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| 1892 Suggestive Small Boy: "Hi! Can you spare a copper?" |
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| 1892 The last public house for one mile pen and ink 26.7 x 19 cm National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia |
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| 1893 "Awfully sorry sir, quite an accident…" 28.7 x 22.5 cm |
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| 1893 Phil May (Drawn by Himself.) |
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| 1893 Sketch for Punch magazine 24 x 29 cm Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane |
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| 1893 Sketch in the Midway Plaisance (Chicago) pen and black ink over traces of graphite on ivory wove paper 18.9 x 26.5 cm Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| 1893 Tourist: 'Fine head that child's got... pen and ink 31.1 x 21.6 cm |
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| 1894 Blind Beggar and Dog pen and black ink with blue pencil, over traces of graphite, on buff wove card 27.8 x 22.3 cm Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| 1894 Fussy Old Lady. |
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| 1894 Horse & Carriage |
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| 1894 I fear no foe |
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| 1894 Oscar Wilde and Whistler pen and black ink, with black crayon and touches of blue crayon, on ivory laminate board 35.4 x 25.5 cm Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
1892 Phil May's Annual
(Summer & Winter editions):
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| 1892 Study for Cover pen and black ink with brush and black wash, over blue pencil, on ivory wove card 25.4 x 21.3 cm Art Institute of Chicago, IL |
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| 1892 A Fact. Welsh Farmer: 'Curate, I suppose?' |
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| 1892 Illustration to ‘Charles Dickens at Gadshill’ |
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| 1892 ‘Oh, please Sir, will you 'old 'im a minute while I blow my nose?’ |
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| 1892 ‘Wot's the row up de court, Bill?’ ‘Bob Smith was kissing my wife, and 'is old woman caught him.’ |
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| 1892 ‘Yes, I always keep a good cigar.’ ‘Why don't you smoke 'em?’ |
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| 1892 ‘Don't disturb yourself, mum: there's nothing in it that'll smash.’ |
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| A Political Argument. Leeds City Art Gallery, UK |
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| Count Von Moltke |
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| Social Intelligence. ‘Our Willie's 'ad 'is neck washed.’ |
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| Types I have met. Paris Fruit-Seller |