Archie Franks, Punch and Judy, 2022 (framed)
Pastel on paper, 16 × 24cm
Archie Franks is a British painter whose works explore familiar cultural motifs such the fairground, puddings and football. Memory, decadence, and a heightened sense of unreality permeate his imagery, often revealing the haunting undertones that nostalgia can evoke.
Archie's inspirations include the atmospheric lighting in Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s paintings, modern advertisements for food, and Caravaggio’s iconic still lives. His swift, often highly textured brushwork echoes the transient nature of pleasure and fun - but a sense of foreboding can be detected.
This framed pastel on paper work is part of our ‘A Day at the Seaside’ online collection and exhibition. The deeply traditional - and frequently violent - Punch and Judy puppets represent perfect subject matter for Archie’s work, which blends clown-like playfulness with darker undertones.
Archie studied at City & Guilds of London Art School and the Royal Academy Schools, graduating in 2012. The following year he exhibited in Bloomberg New Contemporaries and was awarded the Sainsbury Scholarship in Painting, which included a one-year, fully-funded residency at the British School at Rome. He was awarded the Jerwood Painting Fellowship in 2016, concluding with a UK-wide touring exhibition that opened at Jerwood Space in London. In 2025 he was selected for the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Archie lives and works in south east London.
Pastel on paper, 16 × 24cm
Archie Franks is a British painter whose works explore familiar cultural motifs such the fairground, puddings and football. Memory, decadence, and a heightened sense of unreality permeate his imagery, often revealing the haunting undertones that nostalgia can evoke.
Archie's inspirations include the atmospheric lighting in Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s paintings, modern advertisements for food, and Caravaggio’s iconic still lives. His swift, often highly textured brushwork echoes the transient nature of pleasure and fun - but a sense of foreboding can be detected.
This framed pastel on paper work is part of our ‘A Day at the Seaside’ online collection and exhibition. The deeply traditional - and frequently violent - Punch and Judy puppets represent perfect subject matter for Archie’s work, which blends clown-like playfulness with darker undertones.
Archie studied at City & Guilds of London Art School and the Royal Academy Schools, graduating in 2012. The following year he exhibited in Bloomberg New Contemporaries and was awarded the Sainsbury Scholarship in Painting, which included a one-year, fully-funded residency at the British School at Rome. He was awarded the Jerwood Painting Fellowship in 2016, concluding with a UK-wide touring exhibition that opened at Jerwood Space in London. In 2025 he was selected for the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Archie lives and works in south east London.
Pastel on paper, 16 × 24cm
Archie Franks is a British painter whose works explore familiar cultural motifs such the fairground, puddings and football. Memory, decadence, and a heightened sense of unreality permeate his imagery, often revealing the haunting undertones that nostalgia can evoke.
Archie's inspirations include the atmospheric lighting in Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s paintings, modern advertisements for food, and Caravaggio’s iconic still lives. His swift, often highly textured brushwork echoes the transient nature of pleasure and fun - but a sense of foreboding can be detected.
This framed pastel on paper work is part of our ‘A Day at the Seaside’ online collection and exhibition. The deeply traditional - and frequently violent - Punch and Judy puppets represent perfect subject matter for Archie’s work, which blends clown-like playfulness with darker undertones.
Archie studied at City & Guilds of London Art School and the Royal Academy Schools, graduating in 2012. The following year he exhibited in Bloomberg New Contemporaries and was awarded the Sainsbury Scholarship in Painting, which included a one-year, fully-funded residency at the British School at Rome. He was awarded the Jerwood Painting Fellowship in 2016, concluding with a UK-wide touring exhibition that opened at Jerwood Space in London. In 2025 he was selected for the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Archie lives and works in south east London.
