Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement/Barnard, Frederick
BARNARD, FREDERICK (1846–1896), humorous artist, youngest child of Edward Barnard, a manufacturing silversmith, was born in Angel Street, St. Martin's-le-Grand, London, on 26 May 1846. He studied first at Heatherley's art school in Newman Street, where are still preserved some clever caricatures executed by him of his master and fellow pupils, and later under Bonnat in Paris. His earliest publication was a set of twenty charcoal drawings entitled 'The People of Paris,' and he became a very popular artist in black and white, chiefly excelling in the delineation of the types and manners of the lower orders of society. As early as 1863 he had contributed to ' Punch,' and for two years he was cartoonist to 'Fun.' Barnard was one of the most sympathetic and successful of the interpreters of Charles Dickens; the majority of the cuts in the household edition of that author's works (1871-9) are from his pencil, and between 1879 and 1884 he issued three series of 'Character Sketches from Dickens.' He also illustrated novels by Justin Macarthy, H. E. Norris, and others, and much of his work appeared in 'Good Words,' 'Once a Week,' and the 'Illustrated London News.' A fine edition of Bunyan's ' Pilgrim's Progress,' mainly illustrated by Barnard, appeared in 1880. He collaborated with Mr. G. R. Sims in his 'How the Poor Live,' 1883, and during 1886 and 1887 worked in America for Messrs. Harper Brothers. Among his latest productions was a series of parallel characters drawn from Shakespeare and Dickens, which appeared in Mr. Harry Furniss's weekly journal entitled ' Lika Joko'in 1894 and 1895. Barnard painted a few oil pictures of great merit, which appeared from time to time at the Royal Academy, and were brought together at the exhibition of 'English Humorists in Art,' 1889. Of these the best are 'My first Pantomime' and 'My last Pantomime' (the property of Sir Henry Irving), 'The Jury — Pilgrim's Progress,' 'Saturday Night in the East End,' and 'The Crowd before the Guards' Band, St. James's Park.' Barnard married in 1870 Alice Faraday, a niece of Michael Faraday [q. v.] He was accidentally suffocated in a fire at a friend's house at Wimbledon on 27 Sept. 1896.
[Daily News, 29 Sept. 1 896 ; Illustrated London News, 3 Oct. 1896 (with portrait) ; private information.]