Schwabe, Randolph (1885-1948), draughtsman and printmaker, was born at Alsbach House, Barton, Lancashire, on 9 May 1885, the son of Lawrence Schwabe, a cotton manufacturer whose father [Stephan Schwabe] emigrated from Germany in 1820, and his wife, Octavie Henriette, formerly Ermen. Schwabe was educated at a private school in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, where he demonstrated an early talent for drawing. At fourteen he enrolled at the Royal College of Art, and in 1900 transferred to the Slade School of Fine Art, where he stayed for four and a half years. He studied at the Académie Julian in Paris for eight months in 1906, under Jean Paul Laurens, then travelled and worked in Italy, acquiring a knowledge of Italian architecture. He gradually became known as a draughtsman, etcher, and lithographer.

On 19 April 1913 Schwabe married Gwendolen Rosamund (b. 1888/9), daughter of Herbert Jones; they had one daughter. Unable to serve in the First World War owing to frail health, Schwabe was appointed an official war artist; his drawings of the Women's Land Army at work are in the Imperial War Museum. After 1918 he taught at the Camberwell and Westminster schools of art and taught drawing at the Royal College of Art. In 1930 he succeeded Henry Tonks as Slade professor of fine art at University College, London, and as principal of the Slade School of Fine Art; there, despite his long illness, he remained until his death, although George Charlton took over the actual running of the school. He was a member of the New English Art Club and of the London Group, with whom he exhibited regularly. He collaborated with F. M. Kelly in Historic Costume (1925) and A Short History of Costume and Armour (1931), illustrated a number of other books, notably on ballet in association with the publisher C. W. Beaumont, and made designs for some theatrical productions.

Schwabe had a remarkable amount of miscellaneous information on nearly all subjects, and a scholarly knowledge of some—acquired by very wide reading. A slight stammer never hindered his flow of entertaining conversation; he had a quick and subtle sense of humour. In appearance he resembled the stereotypical professor: bespectacled, with a large forehead and longish hair. He took the task of teaching very seriously and was said to be much respected by his students; his gentle, kindly manner never inspired the terror commanded by his predecessor, Henry Tonks.

Schwabe is best remembered as an architectural draughtsman but his subject matter also encompassed portraiture and figurative work, landscapes, still life, and nature studies, his usual signature being ‘R. Schwabe’. His drawings and prints are not remarkable for their imagination but are beautifully precise and reasonable statements of fact. His style has often been described as intellectual, and his illustrations in particular tend to be utilitarian rather than highly original. Schwabe died at his home in Dunbartonshire—Auchenteil, 25 Suffolk Street, Helensburgh—on 19 September 1948, and was survived by his wife. To

Stephen Bone, rev. Terry Ann Riggs Sources C. Tennyson, introduction, Randolph Schwabe: memorial exhibition (1951) [exhibition catalogue, Arts Council of Great Britain, London] · The Times (21 Sept 1948) · P. Skipwith, introduction, Randolph Schwabe, 1885–1948 (1982) [exhibition catalogue, Fine Art Society, London, 2–19 Nov 1982, and The Gallery, Glasgow, 27 Nov – 21 Dec 1982] · A. Horne, The dictionary of 20th century British book illustrators (1994) · B. Peppin and L. Micklethwaite, Dictionary of British book illustrators: the twentieth century (1983) · WWW, 1941–50 · K. Parkes, ‘The architectural drawings of Randolph Schwabe’, Artwork, 1/3 (Feb–April 1925), 178–82 · G. M. Waters, Dictionary of British artists, working 1900–1950 (1975) · M. Harries and S. Harries, The war artists: British official war art of the twentieth century (1983) · A. Windsor, ed., Handbook of modern British painting and printmaking, 1900–1990, 2nd edn (1998) · Bénézit, Dict., 4th edn · R. H. Wilenski, Draughtsmen Edna Clark Hall, Henry Rushbury, Randolph Schwabe, Leon Underwood (1924) · b. cert. · m. cert. · d. cert.

"During 1930 Randolph Schwabe became Slade Professor in succession to Tonks. I was glad to be one of his sponsors. Drawing is the tradition of the Slade School and Schwabe is a dignified and scholarly draughtsman. He has also a wide and impartial outlook on the arts, and a generous sympathy for gallant experiment as well as for disciplined achievement. So too had Allan Gwynne-Jones whom I had chosen to be professor of painting at the Royal College of Art, and who now deemed it his duty to give up his professorship[ that he might support his friend Schwabe at the Slade School."  From  p154 of William Rothenstein's autobiography: Since Fifty Vol. 3 of Men and Memories 1922-1938 Recollections of William Rothenstein.  Right is 'birdie' - Mrs. Randolph Schwabe - painted by Augustus John.

To view Tennyson's introduction to the Randolph Schwabe Memorial Exhibition Catalogue, Click HERE (<---- PDF)  For a list of articles by and about Schwabe click HERE (<----- PDF). 

Below is a drawings by Randolph: 'Wife asleep'. If anyone has Schwabe drawings I would be interested in hearing from you. Please email David Man at:  dm286@columbia.edu.