About Hannah Frank

Jewish Renaissance magazine article

Falmouth Navigator magazine

Read an article from Falmouth Navigator magazine here.

Sunday Herald magazine

Hannah Frank's Dance (1950) was 'Pic of the Week' in the Sunday Herald Magazine, 5th September 2004

Kent on Sunday

'Kent on Sunday' reviewed the book in a front page feature in October 2004.

From Miriam Margolyes

Dear Ms Frank, My friend in Glasgow, Harvey KAPLAN, emailed me details of your aunt's work. I visited the website and am enraptured. What a great artist: how I wish I had met her - my late father was born in Glasgow and I still have family there. Miriam Margolyes Actress

From the BBC Radio Scotland Arts Show, broadcast 28th March 2005

"I always knew that I was going to be a good artist - and if they tell me that, it’s all that I knew before."
Hannah Frank, BBC Radio Scotland, 28th March 2005

"There’s a sense of music in [Hannah Frank’s drawings], I think…. One that I rather like…”wrap thy form in a mantle gray.” It must be poetry. It’s a sort of head, with swirling wind. I’ts very good. She loved to do things that swirled. There’s another one, Night Forms, it’s several women. All they are really is a face, and long gowns, and they swirl around with the moon up above.
She has a interested family, which is good. I wish more artists of her age – and my age - had that. She lives now in a very beautiful old age home, and a lot of her work is around her. You can see her work all over the home, too. It’s lovely for someone her age to be living with her work."
Cordelia Oliver: Painter writer and art critic

She did have very definite Glasgow influences I think, when she was at Art School studying lithography and drawing. One influence would have been Margaret Mackintosh - the art nouveau influence comes from that – and the other influence on her work is … the tradition of Jessie King. When I look at her work she’s got meticulously decorated surfaces. Jessie King filled her space in the most wonderfully decorated way. And like Jessie King, Hannah Frank does beautiful hand lettering. Well Margaret Mackintosh did that also. And I think that she wanted her drawing to have the same fascination as an illustrator like Arthur Rackham. What she did in her work, as a very young artist, in her twenties, she created a sort of poetic parallel universe with her work. It was fantasy, but it was beautifully realised.

Her fellow artists recognized her talent and she exhibited every year in the RGA and the RSA. But she was a woman - she wasn’t ‘one of the boys’ at the Art Club. I think she just concentrated on her work, and her family life. She wasn’t kind of socialising with the art set. She just did what she did, and exhibited, but she didn’t partake fully - I know Benno Schotz was a member of the Art Club, he loved going there, and socialising with his friends there, but I don’t think that was her.

Once you’ve seen one of her drawings … you’ll instantly pick them out whenever you see them again. They were done all that time ago, but like Jessie King, I think people love them now as much as when they were done.
Alma Wolfson, Artist, and President of the Glasgow Society of Women Artists

Looking at Hannah Frank’s sculptures, for example, you think they’re much more “modern”, than, say, her drawings, which seem to go back to the turn of the century, with the fantasy, Art Nouveau kind of symbolism, whereas her sculpture, on the other hand, is much more simplified - modern, if I can use that term.

I can understand why in the 60s and why today her work is speaking to a new audience. There’s a youthfulness in it, a kind of romantic idealism, in every generation that’s bound to exist. No matter how cynical an age we live in, I think that kind of work will touch people.

It’s marvellous that a 96 year old artist comes back into the spotlight. That’s the way I think the art world works. You can establish a reputation, and then you can be very quickly forgotten. But I think in this case, basically the strength of Hannah Frank’s work, it’s overcome the ups and downs of fashion. And I think that her work will always be considered, when there’s a discussion of art in the twentieth century, in Glasgow, and in Scotland. I think her place is secure.
Sandy Moffatt, Head of Painting and Printmaking at GSA

Some comments by Clare English, the BBC Journalist who interviewed Hannah for the Arts Show

'When the book came into the office I was completely hooked. I loved the pen and ink drawings, then I looked at the sculpture, and thought 'why haven't we heard of this woman before?' I wanted to find out more about her, and as I read the intro to the book it became not 'if' but 'when' we would interview her.

From the start I was completely taken by her. She is an incredible mix of humour, self deprecation, and a sense of her own ability. She's got a mischievous way about her - you just want to hug her! This is terribly long overdue. She's so talented: to think she was still working till a few years ago!

She's still got dynamism in her soul - that's so wonderful. Even though she can't do artistic work now, the artistic nature never dissipates - the artistic nature comes out, whether it's in words or with your hands, making art...

We're not doing this programme because she's a lovely old lady: but because she's a rare being, she has an incredible story to tell. You find so few Jewish people going to the art school, you find so few women at that time going to the art school. She was driven and passionate to continue her art even when she was a teacher. I'd have loved to have met her in 1920s Glasgow. I've a feeling I'd have got on with her.

The programme is an intimate perspective on her life and work. She has a magnetic personality - but everyone we interviewed for the programme said that the quality of work stood out above all else. She's Glasgow personified - an amazing artist. She proves that you don't have to be a swaggering 'in your face' type to produce this kind of art. She's just incredible.'

From Visitors book, The Gregson Arts and Community Centre, March 2003:

"Very moving: very beautiful: my life is made richer"

"We now have a print of Night framed and hung in our house where it gives us great pleasure"

"I find your art very inspiring"

"I was so impressed by your beautiful striking prints when I saw them at the Peter Scott gallery and was naturally pleased to meet your niece and purchase some little part of it"

"Your pictures are beautiful, I wish we could have bought them all! This is the best exhibition I have seen in the Gregson for a long time and they have a lot of exhibitions. These prints will always be on our walls, wherever we go they'll go with us".

Art Collector, Newton Mearns, Glasgow, September 2003:

"The first time I saw them was when I was 17/18, … I walked into the store - Frank Cameras had a concession in Frasers. As I walked in I looked up and I saw these two fantastic pictures, and I just fell in love with them, and I decided I had to have them. And I had very little money. It astounded me because I had never bought a picture or a painting in my life. 17 year old girls don't do that sort of thing! I decided that was it, I fell in love with them. They were so beautiful. And I think also I realised, they were very positive images. I think they're very uplifting. I must have identified with them at that time. I bought them. I gave them to John for his Christmas. It's just as well I married him wasn't it! And we've still kept them all these years. And I just loved them. And then later, John was walking up Sauchiehall Street past Centre Galleries and he saw the other ones and couldn't believe his luck. And again, there must be something about Hannah Frank pictures, he walked in, and he bought five of them… I don't know what Hannah Frank means to other people, but certainly, when we see her pictures, we just have to have them. They seem to have some message, they're meaningful to us, and we love them. We'd never part with them. Other pieces of art that we've bought, I haven't got the same strong emotion, I like them, but I don't feel the same about them, and I wondered if other people felt as attached to them as we do…. I think if anything they're my favourites, definitely, of all the paintings we've bought."

"I have to say, I still don't understand what happened that day, I fell in love with them, I knew I had to have them… maybe at 17 you do things spontaneously…."

Critical Acclaim for Hannah Frank Spanning nine decades!!

The current issue of the Glasgow University magazine contains some splendid art work by Miss Hannah Frank, a young Jewish student, whose work in this sphere is attracting much favourable comment.
Jewish Echo 1929

Miss H Franks, the promising young art student
Jewish Echo, 1929

'You will perhaps allow me to compliment you on one of the most beautiful pieces of work which the GUM has ever had. Please do not stop.
G A Highet, Editor, Glasgow University Magazine, 1929

"I'm no art critic, but I have a fondness for what seems to me good work; and yours certainly fits the description. I shall hope to see more of Al Aaraaf next year'
Allan Mackinnock, Editor, Glasgow University Magazine, 1932

Miss Frank has turned out some work of really exceptional merit, and her black and white drawings are unique in their execution, showing a wealth of detail in exceptionally clear delineation..
Jewish Echo, 1933

Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts exhibition
...and the dignified elongations of two studies by Hannah Levy all catch the eye.
Glasgow Herald, 21 October 1955

Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts
'Hannah Frank's bronze mask of 'Charles Frank' is noticeable and good...
Emilio Coia, 1962

...Of the very small mantelpiece sized objects...Hannah Frank's voluptuous 'Reclining Woman' is classical in her ease of pose and perfect, calm, a lovely wee thing.'
Sydney Goodsir Smith, The Scotsman 1963

[The drawings] are poetic, emotive and extremely decorative, and, though not all of the imagery is extraordinary, there is a graceful rhythm and a textural excitement in the 'woman with birds' and 'come lovely and soothing death' which I admired. She also shows small sculptured figures that are more contemporary in feeling and contain a certain elegance and strength in their simplification.
Edward Gage, The Scotsman, Sept 1969

Glasgow Jewish Art Group inaugural one day exhibition
small nude by Max Balarsky, two abstracts by David Bentheim, Muriel Lawson's Chinese Sailing Boats, Jeremy Rosen's caricatures, a pastel landscape by Alma Wolfson, Sheila Cohen's Peonies in nicely judged colour, and several pen-and-ink drawings by Hannah Frank of fairly macabre, art-nouveau elegance.
Martin Baillie, Glasgow Herald, Thursday December 11th 1969

Capelrig House 1970:

Last Sunday the distinguished sculptor Benno Schotz RSA opened the second annual Glasgow Jewish Art Group exhibition in aid of WIZO at Capelrig House. It was another great success for the conveners and their colleagues, in sales and attendance.

In scope, quantity and quality, it improved on last year's show.
To the mainstay of paintings and sculpture were added photography, ceramics, jewellery, tapestry and children's collage from Calderwood Lodge. With such variety it is best to tackle things in sequence.

In the first room I noticed a particularly competent Ancill flower piece; passed through to the children's contributions of attractive collage and water colour, on to the photographic display.. The print standard was of a high order and mainly bob0professional. There were portraits, landscapes, candid colour and experiential work. I enjoyed the sympathetic portraits of David Lewis, the humour of Yally and the colour prints by Wolfson among the many excellent items.

Next door, Hannah Frank's graphic work was a striking counterpoint to the panache of Donaldson's oils portrait of Rabbi Rosen. Lastly, of the main room where the standard and number of w2orks surpassed the previous display, there is just space to record a few highlights only. The 'caravanserai' and print, by David Bentheim and the colour quality of Joni Ancill command attention. Laura Harrison has a delicate still-life and lovely relief-like tapestries. Alma Wolfson offers some subtle sketches and Bert Binnie's 'Poseidon' struck a tachiste note.

Raymond D Sless, Jewish Echo, 1970

Virtuous maidens in an orgy of symbolism

The emotional range in Hannah Frank's drawings and prints of literary and poetic allegories, on view at the Portico Library, Manchester (until June 9) is limited to that of an intimate, soothing melancholy. But her individual sensibility and involvement with her themes - some with religious undertones - are clearly apparent.

The emphasis on line and elegance, stylization and pattern refers one back to fin de siecle Art Nouveau and the symbolist 'idea' in a sort of chastened Beardsleyesque style. And very chaste it is - with supra-virtuous, virginal maidens, very sad, almond-eyed and pouting Pre-Raphaelite-lipped, daintily swaying against flowered backgrounds or tripping through a "Moon Ballet" - positively too good to be symbolic!

Skilful execution is seen at its best when the artist allows the sharp contrasts of large areas of black and white to impinge on the decorative element, conveying a mystical flavour in the overlapping heads of "Flight".
Carol Kroch. Telegraph 18.5.72.

Glasgow Jewish Art Group... exhibition 12th June, Newton Mearns Synagogue Hall.

'He mentioned the need for a public collection of work by local Jewish artists, as a lasting cultural asset to our community. Among the more established artists, landscapes by Alma Wolfson and Joni Ancill stood out as did those by Ben Steen and watercolourist Danny Kaye. I liked the crisp printwork of Norman Cohen and Max Balarsky. In the crafts look out for Laura Harrison tapestries, embroidery by Doreen Walport and Alison Goldberg's batik trees. Of the abstracts Max Burton was in the forefront.

There is a particularly good small bronze figure from Hannah Frank and Lynn Wolfson's 'Chupah' aptly symbolizes a union of two souls. Beside the pictures are two replicas of 17th century keyboard instruments: examples of Leslie Rosin's superb craftsmanship. Near them were displayed handcrafts including soft toys, knitting and floral creations. I regret I cannot manage to include all of the many artists whose work made the occasion such a unique occasion. Once again, much credit is due to everyone who strove to make it a reality. Our community needs such artistic enterprise. I look forward hopefully to show number six in the near future.
R D Sless, Jewish Echo 15.6.79

Ben Uri nationwide event - photo of Hannah Frank, Head 1954, Finalist in the sculpture section of the 1995 Ben Uri Gallery Nationwide Art Event.
1995 'Vision' (WIZO magazine)

'Her career has spanned more than 75 years in which she produced works of breath-taking quality'.
Brian Stewart, Curator, Falmouth Art Gallery, in Kent on Sunday, October 24th 2004.

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A website dedicated to the work of Hannah Frank, respected Glasgow artist and sculptor. All images copyright Hannah Frank. Reproduction needs prior written permission. Contact Fiona Frank (tel/email below) with your requirements.

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Fiona Frank, tel (+44) (0)7778 737681 email  hannahfrankart@googlemail.com