Frances Macdonald MacNair was a pivotal artist and designer in the development of the Glasgow Style and Art Nouveau aesthetic in Scotland. Of Frances's jewellery designs, only a small group of designs and photographs of executed items survive.
Born near Wolverhampton, Frances Macdonald MacNair moved with her family to Glasgow in 1890. She and her older sister, Margaret, later enrolled at Glasgow School of Art in 1891 where they met fellow students Charles Rennie Mackintosh and J. Herbert MacNair. By 1894 the Macdonald sisters had left the School of Art and established a studio where they made metalwork, embroideries, jewellery and craft items, often in collaboration with each other as well as MacNair and Mackintosh. Together they became known as ‘The Four’, developing international reputations for their designs.
The sisters were especially skilled in jewellery and enamelling, but unfortunately little of their jewellery survives today.
After marrying J. Herbert MacNair in 1899, Frances moved with him to Liverpool where she taught classes in design at the Art Sheds at the University. On her return to Glasgow, in about 1908, she was employed in the jewellery and textiles department at the Glasgow School of Art. Some examples of her early jewellery were exhibited at St George's Hall, Liverpool in 1900 and again in Turin in 1902.
Her designs demonstrate her distinctive elongated flowing lines, the depiction of stylised female forms and mystical plant imagery. After her son Sylvan was born in 1900, motherhood and children became another theme in her work.
Artist shown centre left.
