Fred Beckett RBA RI FROI RSMA (1933 - 2025)
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Bio
Alongside his career in business, Fred pursued his love of painting, developing a distinct, impressionistic style in both watercolours and oils. Fred’s work was already regularly being shown at the Annual Exhibitions of the Royal Societies in London, but it was in the early 90s when he retired and was able to devote all his time to painting that Fred’s art career truly took off.
In the years that followed, Fred was made an Honorary Member of both the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours and the Royal Society of British Artists. As a true plein-air painter, Fred was also very proud to be made a member of the Wapping Group of Artists, and in 1998 he organised an exhibition by the Group at the Guildhall, London, which was devoted to the Cutty Sark.
Fred was also elected a member of the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers and in recognition of his work for this historical society over many years, he was made a Freeman of the City of London in 2007.
After having regularly shown work at the Annual Exhibition for a number of years, Fred was elected Full Member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, and after first serving as Honorary Treasurer of the society, he was elected President of the ROI in 1995, a position he held for three years. In 1998 Fred was elected a Fellow of the ROI, the highest status bestowed by the Institute. In 1995 he won the ROI Alan Gourley Memorial Prize for an outstanding painter and was awarded the ROI Le Clerc Fowle Gold Medal for an outstanding group of paintings at the 2002 Annual Exhibition. In 2006, Fred was awarded the ROI Dartington Crystal Chalice, an annual award presented to a member of the Institute in recognition of outstanding service and contribution.
Even after moving to live in Buckinghamshire, Fred was constantly drawn back to his native East Anglia, and drew inspiration from the local scenes and people of this region, as well as the landscapes and big skies with which he was so familiar. Especially after retirement, Fred also travelled widely, and increasingly his body of work also included scenes from abroad.
Many of Fred’s paintings are in private collections in the USA, Canada, Italy, Germany, Japan and Australia, as well as the United Kingdom.