Francis Robert Kelly was born in Minnesota in 1927. After a brief career in the US Navy he studied art in Los Angeles, Honolulu and Paris. He then became assistant to the Printmaker John Paul Jones at UCLA. In 1955 he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship and moved to London where he lived ever since. There he got a degree in etching and started a successful career as printmaker. His work has been shown in numerous museums and galleries throughout the UK and can be found in many major collections both in the UK and the USA. Apart from printmaking, Kelly also painted and was an expert art restorer having published several books on art restoration. He died in 2012.
This aquatint etching is a great example of his earlier work. It’s called ‘Armada’ and probably dates from the mid 1960s. It was printed in a limited edition of only 50. The influence of his former teacher John Paul Jones who in turn was influenced by Jacques Villon is clear. This abstract etching not only fits in with the cubist tradition it is also influenced by the futurist movement of the 1920s. At first glance the subject matter seems to contrast starkly with the futurist ideals but this Armada is not the 16th century invasion of Britain but a modern flotilla of sailing yachts. Kelly was clearly intrigued by the way the light of the sunset interacted with the patterns of the sails. Like most of his etchings this work has a very soft ‘misty’ quality to it, as if you are looking at the subject through a thin veil. Kelly uses this technique also to great effect with his female nudes which was another of his favourite subjects.
Kelly made several etchings similar to this, including one of Junks in the Government Art collection. His later work is a lot more realistic and in my view not to the same standard as his earlier abstract work, but this example shows Kelly at his best; a dynamic, colourful, exciting and intriguing etching!
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