Death Of Chiswick Artist Alfred Daniels
The popular local artist had recently turned ninety
The death has taken place of well-known Chiswick artist Alfred Daniels, who had recently celebrated turning ninety.
Affectionately known as 'Danny' to his friends, he lived in Bedford Park with his wife Margot (a former theatrical costumier) and until a short time before his death continued to attend life-drawing classes and to paint almost every day in his studio.
'Danny' - Alfred Daniels
Recently chiswickw4.com carried an interview with Danny in what is probably his last media interview. He talked about how he was still learning, even at the age of ninety.
Born in 1924, his paternal grandfather emigrated from Russia in the 1880s, and his maternal grandfather from Poland. Danny was brought up in Trellis Street, near Bow, in the east End, where his father was a tailor. He was taught lettering by his uncle Charles, and was trained at his uncle's studio in Fetter Lane where he learned about the visual world - the Vogue photographic studio was on the same premises. When the War broke out in 1939 he was evacuated to Kent with his brother. Later he joined the RAF but did not see active service. In 1947, Danny was accepted to study at the Royal College of Art.
His travels abroad were highly influential. In Florence, Venice, Ravenna and Siena, he was impressed by the Italian Primitives. His award-winning murals ( 1952-54) hang in Hammersmith Town Hall depicting life on the Thames and are regarded as modern classics. Some examples of his early work were included in a survey of 1950s British Art at the London Barbican Centre.
Danny's picture for the Chiswick Dog Show 2014
Danny and his wife Margot moved to Chiswick in 1969, and lived in the same house in Bedford Park until his death. He had a long association with the Russell Gallery in Putney and exhibited there on many occasions since the gallery's inception ten years ago. In October 2013 a retrospective exhibition of his work was held there. He was a member of the Royal Watercolour society since 1973, the Royal Society of British Artists since 1983 and a keeper of The Royal Society. For many years Danny taught at Sir John Cass School of Art.
His friend Simon Rodway said; "Danny was a distinguished artist, but also had a very down to earth approach. I love his pictures, which are of a particular “quaint” genre. Whether he was painting people or animals he always gave them a character of their own. I spent many hours with him going to the art shows and he had very definite views about other people’s paintings! I was especially pleased that he put my two dogs into a number of his pictures. His last two paintings were for the Chiswick House Dog Show. It is good that an artist can live on through their work and I shall continue to enjoy Danny’s."
There will be a service at 1.20pm on Friday 15 th May at Mortlake Crematorium.
May 2, 2015