Recall a time when artists and writers gathered in Zurich during World War I. This Frank Budgen Plaque commemorates Frank Budgen. He was an English painter, writer, and socialist activist.
Frank Budgen was born in Crowhurst, Surrey. He lived from 1882 to 1971. Before becoming an artist, he spent six years at sea. Later, he worked as a postal worker in London.
In 1910, Frank Budgen moved to Paris. He wanted to study painting. To support himself, he modeled for Swiss sculptor August Suter. In Paris, he met writer Blaise Cendrars and poet Siegfried Lang.
Before World War I, August Suter invited Frank Budgen to Switzerland. There, he worked for the British government. He was at the Ministry of Information in Zurich. This ministry spread British propaganda in neutral countries. After the war, Frank Budgen returned to London. He remained there until his death.
Frank Budgen joined the Socialist Labour Party. Eventually, he became its general secretary. With Lily G Aitken, he published the first cheap edition of The Communist Manifesto. Frank Budgen maintained contact with his Swiss friends. He often visited August and Paul Suter, and Siegfried Lang. In 1967, he was a guest of honor at the first James Joyce Symposium in Dublin.
Frank Budgen married Francine Budgen. She was Jewish and Belgian. They shared political interests. They had a daughter named Joan.
During the war, James Joyce and Frank Budgen lived in Zurich. They moved in similar circles of artists, writers, and musicians. In his 1934 memoir, James Joyce and the Making of Ulysses, Budgen wrote about Joyce. He noted that Joyce often discussed art with him. These discussions covered Joyce’s works like A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses, and Finnegans Wake. Joyce referred to Finnegans Wake as Work in Progress. Budgen’s memoir suggests Joyce developed his ideas by debating with Budgen. Frank Budgen also created several portraits of James Joyce. One from 1919 is now in the National Gallery of Ireland. It was used in his 1934 memoir.
Joyce scholar Clive Hart admired Frank Budgen’s ability to make friends. Hart noted that Budgen welcomed new experiences throughout his life. In his thirties, Frank Budgen was a stimulating companion to James Joyce. Even in his eighties, he was lively and curious, enjoying the company of many friends.
Frank and Francine Budgen are buried in St George’s Church graveyard in Crowhurst, Surrey.
Frank Budgen’s paintings include St Peter’s Church, Belsize Park. He also painted Finnegans Wake. His self-portrait with James Joyce is held by the Zurich James Joyce Foundation. The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin owns many of his drawings and paintings.
Frank Budgen wrote James Joyce and the Making of Ulysses in 1934. He also wrote Myselves When Young in 1970. In 1961, he recorded My Friend James Joyce.
This Frank Budgen Plaque serves as a reminder of a man of many talents. He was a painter, writer, and friend to James Joyce, leaving behind a rich legacy.