Joseph Gray (1890 – 1963)

Painter and etcher Joseph Gray was born in Durham, England and studied at South Shields Art School, followed by a period of European travel before taking work as an illustrator in Dundee, Scotland. The First World War saw his appointment as an observer, delineating enemy positions and mapping trench lines for strategic use until he was discharged for medical reasons in 1916. Much of his early success as an artist arose from his front line experiences, leading to the sale of several of his drawings to the Imperial War Museum followed by a commission from the museum for a large oil painting.

In the 1920s Gray and his family settled in Broughty Ferry, a fishing village in Scotland, where he established both a studio and subsequently traveled to Holland, Belgium and Spain. Upon his return, he produced landscapes and architectural views, which were enthusiastically received and acquired by many institutions including the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

With the decline of sales brought about by the worldwide Depression, Gray relocated to London and failed, despite a promising start, to establish a portrait studio there. He ultimately settled in Marlow, England, where he died.