Albany Wiseman (1930-2021)
Albany Wiseman worked as a professional artist producing drawings, illustrations, prints and paintings as well as books for nearly 40 years and is particularly known for his architectural compositions although he was a man of many talents who could equally turn his hand to children’s illustrations and beautiful landscapes. He studied at St Albans College of Art 1946-50 before being called for National Service where he served in the Suez. During this time he used his talent to record army life, examples of which are held in the National Army Museum, and paint murals for the Officers and other Messes. On his return he joined his father’s studio (who was a known commercial artist himself) where he worked on various commissions and developed a reputation for his illustrations of proposed developments for leading architects as part of the post war property boom.
He lectured part-time at Leicester Polytechnic 1976-80 in watercolour and illustration and on his father’s retirement he took over the studio and kept it going for the remainder of his life. During his career he carried out many commissions for hospitals, institutions and churches for fundraising purposes and produced illustrations for children’s books including one for St Paul’s Cathedral as well as educational books such as The Artist’s Sketchbook for which Prince Charles wrote the foreword. His final project was a children’s book which he worked on with a lifelong friend, completed shortly before his death. His desire to impart knowledge was not only manifested in his books but also in his summer schools in Provence. During his long and successful career, he exhibited his work regularly at venues such as the Curwen Gallery, Christies Contemporary Art, New Academy Graphics, the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolour and the Chelsea Arts Club and examples of his work can be found in the Tate gallery, the British Council, the National Army Museum and the British Museum.