Frank Short, “Prisoners of War”, 1890

Frank Short (aka Sir Frank Short) (1857–1945)

“Prisoners of War” (aka “Quarter Boys”), 1890.

The Curator of the British Museum offers the following insight about this print: “The artist provided a note on the poem and plate for Hardie, 1938-40, Vol 3. p.33, stating: ‘Etched from a small window at the back of the clock, where only one boy was visible. The legend is that it was taken from a ship of the Spanish Armada— I am afraid without truth—but it is a pleasant tale; and so I arranged the distance from the other side of the tower, to show the way to the sea. I am sorry now for the poor lettering!’” (BM inv. 1931,0613.181).

Etching with plate tone on fine laid paper, pencil signed by the artist and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 21.5 x 26.8 cm; (plate) 15.3 x 20.2 cm.

Inscribed in plate: (lower left) “Ye Quarter Boys yt looke out to sea from/ [coat-of-arms of the ancient town of Rye] ye Belfrie tower of Rye Church &/ mark ye hours till yt new Armada/ comes to bryng them home to their/ owne land of Spaine”; (lower right) [artist’s monogram, “S” on shield]/ But the sandbanks grow & the sea line waxes dim And each one thinketh/ but to his brother sayeth not – Ah! that our watch mighten/ end, end and we could die – If Quarter boys ever die”.

Signature of artist inscribed in pencil below the plate-mark: (right) “Frank Short”.

Hardie 240; Strange 106

The British Museum offers the following description of this print: “One of the figures of boys that strike the quarter-bells of Rye Church tower. Beyond the bell, below, the roofs of the town; the harbour winding away into the far distance, toward shipping and the open sea. 1890” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1931-0613-181).

See also the descriptions of this print offered by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) and the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA): https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/23904/ & https://collections.artsmia.org/art/47688/prisoners-of-war-quartre-boys-sir-frank-short.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression with no significant stains and laid onto a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper.

I am selling this rare, pencil signed, proof-state etching showing a boy ringing one of the bells that were once looted by French marauders in 1377 and now reclaimed (and recast) for the Parish Church of Rye (aka Cathedral of East Sussex) and hung in what I understand is the "Quarter Boys" clock tower (because the clock strikes on the quarter hours but not each hour) in Rye in England—note the coat-of-arms inscribed in the plate at lower right—for AU $333 (currently US $205.96/ EUR 199.92/ GBP 168.83 at the time of posting this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU $333) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this curiously interesting image featuring not only one of the famous bells of Rye being struck, but also a view across the town of Rye in East Sussex, England, to the sea around three kilometres away, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.