Who is R. A. Fox? How can i find out more about his art? Today we’re learning about vintage art prints, famous for their country scenes.
Have you ever seen this type of vintage artwork, maybe on an old calendar, or in a beautifully adorned antique frame? Chances are, it most likely was done by turn of the century artist, Roger Atkinson Fox, or one of his alias names. Today you’ll learn more about him and his very popular vintage art. Enjoy reading Collecting R. Atkinson Fox Prints.
My collection of R.A. Fox prints has slowly grown through my years of vintage shopping. I don’t hang them permanently on my walls, but rather rotate them to different rooms, depending on the seasons.
My collection focuses on garden-wrapped cottages, and I love to bring them out in the Spring. You can see how I displayed them on an old schoolhouse window in “Spring Home Tour with a Garden Theme.” I also decorated with a few in “How to Decorate to Thrift the Look, Garden Inspired Decor”. The antique frames are as pretty as the art itself and works wonderfully when styled with old garden tools.
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Collecting R. Atkinson Art Prints
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Many R. A. Fox prints feature Monet-like, pastoral scenes. English cottages, old barns, lazy rivers and pretty pastures are the idyllic subject matter. Farm animals and farmers working their fields add to the natural life-in-the country beauty. Adding to the beauty of the art is the ornate, detailed frames they are usually in. Most of the frames I’ve picked up have a predominantly green color scheme, with aquas, yellows and grays.
Who was Robert Atkinson Fox?
My favorite frame with the pretty cottage is the only print that features the artists name, Robert Atkinson Fox, which I learned, is not unusual. R. A. Fox (1860-1935) was born in Ontario, Canada. He left home in his teens to study art. He began earning his living as a portrait artist. Sometime in his 20’s he traveled to Europe, where he was obviously influenced by their use of of soft, subtle colors to create tranquil, natural scenes.
Tranquil, Country Scenes
In the late 1800’s, he moved to New York where his paintings were well received. His strength was Naturalism, painting mostly landscapes and rural themes. Cows, sheep, dirt roads, gardens and trees were his comfort zone, but when 1900 arrived and colorful images were being used in print prolifically, he became a sought after illustrator.
The “Golden Age of Illustration” saw companies producing calendars, posters, postcards, and various advertising material, and R.A. Fox became a very busy artist. He settled his family of 8 children in New Jersey so he could be near his clients. A hard worker, he was definitely not a starving artist. He painted everyday in his studio, and often completed a painting a day.
An Artist by Any Other Name…
Painting was income, and it didn’t bother him if his name was not on his work. Many times, at the request of the publisher, he would use a pseudonym. Experts guess that between 16, and possibly up to 40 different names were used on his paintings. In the editing and printing process, publishers would also remove his name. He used this to his advantage, being able to work for competing companies. The publishers liked it, because it looked like they had a whole team of artists.
Over 1000 prints have been documented to be painted by R.A.Fox. After looking through the gallery of the R.A. Fox Society webpage, I think I have even more of his work around my house than I realized, including pictures of Jesus, and adorable children and birds.
What’s frustrating is we won’t really know which are his or which are from another artist! But good for him that he wasn’t a starving artist. There was demand for his work and he made the most of his talent.
Find and Shop R. A. Fox prints HERE.
If you collect this beautiful vintage framed art, I hope you enjoyed learning more about the artist and his work! Collecting R. Atkinson Fox Prints is a wonderful decorating staple; thanks for reading! If you enjoyed your visit, become an Insider to keep the inspiration flowing!
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