Francis Arthur Fraser

The Fraser family of artists or Frasers of Huntingdonshire, of Scottish origin and based in the area around Bedford in England from 1861, were a family of artists. They are known largely for their landscape watercolour paintings, the predominant subject matter of which was the rural landscape of The Fens. Their paintings therefore usually contain stretches of still water, typically reaching the front of the picture space, and few if any figures. Many show scenes when the trees have lost their leaves. They were in general rather small by the standards of the day, and often had wide and thin picture spaces. Although several of the family made considerable use of bodycolour (gouache), they rarely painted in oils, unlike many contemporaries who moved between both media. According to a family member, there "never was a Fraser who did not draw", but the main artistic production of two of the family was line illustrations for books and magazines.