Alfred Bryan (1852–17 May 1899) (born as Charles Grineau) was a popular English illustrator, best known for his many contributions to the London-based weekly theatrical review Entr'acte.
He was born as Charles Grineau in Marylebone in London in 1852, the eldest of five children of Elizabeth née Newman (1840-1804) and William Henry Grineau (1829-1902), a baker. Bryan's first professional sketches were published in The Hornsey Hornet. He also produced sketches for The London Figaro. Bryan worked for the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News for most of his career and was also published in periodicals such as Judy magazine. Walter Sickert, a contemporary art critic, described him as "the complete, trained draughtsman", praising his illustrations as "unfaltering in their mastery of line, their perfect style, their elegance and wit."
Bryan died in May 1899 and was buried in New Southgate Cemetery, in Barnet, North London. He left an estate valued at £2,309 9s 9d.
His son was Charles William Grineau (1883–1957), an artist known for his paintings of motorcars under the pseudonyms Bryan de Grineau and John Bryan.
Gallery
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Typical Bryan caricature of the actor W. H. Denny as he appeared in The Yeomen of the Guard
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Gilbert, Sullivan and D'Oyly Carte from the 1894 Entr'acte Annual
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Carl Rosa from the 1888 Entr'acte Annual
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Charles Dickens from the 1893 Entr'acte Annual
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Caricature of comedian Dan Leno as a Christmas pantomime dame from 1890s
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Bobby Abel, to W. G.:-"Look here, we players intend to be sufficiently paid, as well as the so-called gentlemen!", 1884 Entr'acte Annual
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Oscar Wilde by Alfred Bryan
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The ventriloquist Frank Travis from the 1889 Entr'acte
- ^ "De Grineau Bryan (JOHN BRYAN)". Motoring Art Information. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- Charles Grineau in the England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
- Forbes, Frank 'A Chat with Alfred Bryan The Temple Magazine (1898)
- Walter Sickert, The Complete Writings on Art, Oxford, 2003
- Charles Grineau in the England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995
References
External links
Media related to Alfred Bryan (illustrator) at Wikimedia Commons
- Bryan on the National Portrait Gallery website