STATE OF THE ART
RAILWAY art is almost as old as steam railways themselves. In the 19th century, Monet, Turner, Frith and Bourne were among the first to interpret the new and highly visual form of transport on canvas, and there are almost certain to have been people in the coalfields sketching the first primitive locomotives 200 and so years ago.
Few of those pioneers could have predicted the formation of the Guild of Railway Artists (GRA), which is this year celebrating its 40th anniversary.
To mark the occasion, The Railway Magazine – closely associated with art since its launch in 1897 – is delighted to present the history of the organisation along with a selection of images from the three surviving Fellows of the Guild.
The GRA was formed in 1979 to forge a link between those whose work or hobby involved the depiction of trains past and present. Founder members included Terence Cuneo, David Shepherd, Don
