# Fred Roe

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For the American polo player, see [Fred Roe (polo)](/source/Fred_Roe_(polo)).

For other people, see [Frederick Rowe](/source/Fred_Rowe_(disambiguation)).

**Frederic** '**Fred**' **Roe** (1864 – 16 August 1947)[1][2][3] was a [genre artist](/source/Genre_works) and [illustrator](/source/Illustrator), best known for his paintings of landscapes, portraits and military scenes.

## Life and work

Alfred Frederic Roe was born in [Cambridge](/source/Cambridge), England, the son of Robert Henry Roe, painter and engraver; He went on to study at [Heatherley School of Fine Art](/source/Heatherley_School_of_Fine_Art) under [Seymour Lucas](/source/Seymour_Lucas). Roe first exhibited at the prestigious [Royal Academy](/source/Royal_Academy) in 1877, was elected to the [RBA](/source/Royal_Society_of_British_Artists) in 1895, then to the Royal Institute of British Painters in 1909. He spent many years living in London being recorded in the [1901 census](/source/United_Kingdom_Census_1901) as living in [Hampstead](/source/Hampstead) with his wife and son, Frederic Gordon Roe (1894–1985), who became an art critic.[4]

Roe developed a successful career as a painter of historical [genre subjects](/source/Genre_works), often connected with the [Tower of London](/source/Tower_of_London). He painted several pictures of [Joan of Arc](/source/Joan_of_Arc),[5] and also some showing incidents in the life of [Nelson](/source/Horatio_Nelson,_1st_Viscount_Nelson). He was an accomplished portrait painter and his work can be found in many public collections including the [National Portrait Gallery](/source/National_Portrait_Gallery_(London)) in London. During his career, Roe was best known for his large historical compositions set in period costumes. He is known to have worked in oils and occasionally watercolour.

He later became a leading expert and collector of antique furniture. His book *Ancient Coffers and Cupboards* (1902) is an "admirable illustrated volume" on English medieval furniture.[6] He was the author of several other reference books: *A History of Oak Furniture* (1920) and *Ancient Church Chests and Chairs* (1929). He also illustrated *Vanishing England* by P. H. Ditchfield[7] and other books.

## Notes

1. [Biog](http://www.artmagick.com/pictures/artist.aspx?artist=fred-roe) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20161202024520/http://www.artmagick.com/pictures/artist.aspx?artist=fred-roe) 2016-12-02 at the Wayback Machine (artmagick.com)

1. [Biog](http://www.artoftheprint.com/artistpages/roe_fred_goodbyemylads.htm) (artoftheprint.com)

1. [Biog](http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/speel/paint/roe.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180723091427/http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/speel/paint/roe.htm) 23 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine (by Bob Speel)

1. [Hiller, Bevis](/source/Bevis_Hillier). ["A Birthday Tribute"](https://archive.org/stream/connoisseurillus187lond/connoisseurillus187lond_djvu.txt), [*The Connoisseur*](/source/The_Connoisseur_(magazine)), September 1974 issue, p. 33

1. *[Ethel and Narcissus - a closer look at two of Waterhouse’s models](http://www.johnwilliamwaterhouse.com/m/articles/50005/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20091015035726/http://www.johnwilliamwaterhouse.com/m/articles/50005/) 2009-10-15 at the Wayback Machine* (johnwilliamwaterhouse.com)

1. ["Review of *Ancient Coffers and Cupboards* by Fred Roe"](https://books.google.com/books?id=oKA5AQAAIAAJ&pg=PA8). *The Athenaeum*. '***(3923): 8–9. January 3, 1903.***

1. Ditchfield, P. H. ["Vanishing England"](https://archive.org/details/vanishingenglan00roegoog) (E. P. Dutton & Co, 1910)

## Further reading

- Chester, Austin. *The Art of Mr Fred Roe* ([The Windsor Magazine](/source/The_Windsor_Magazine), March 1908).
- Grant M. Waters. *Dictionary of British Artists Working 1900-1950* (Eastbourne Fine Art, Dec 1976).
- Roe, F. Gordon. *Fred Roe (1864–1947). Historical and genre painter, author and antiquary, his life and art* (self-published, 1978).
- Roe, Fred. [Ancient Church Chests and Chairs](https://books.google.com/books?id=Krwh59D3_38C) ( B.T. Batsford, 1929).
- Roe, Fred. *[Old Oak Furniture](https://books.google.com/books?id=EWWwBnNGeZ0C)* (1920)

## External links

- [Paintings by Roe](http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person.php?LinkID=mp07489&role=art) ([National Portrait Gallery](/source/National_Portrait_Gallery_(London)))
- [Paintings by Roe](https://web.archive.org/web/20090907013252/http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/search/listResults.cfm?Maker=after%20Fred%20Roe&SortBy=maker) ([National Maritime Museum](/source/National_Maritime_Museum))
- [Illustrations by Roe scanned by the British Library](https://www.flickr.com/search/?tags=artist:name=%22Fred%20Roe%22)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fred Roe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Roe) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Roe?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.