David Henry Friston

David Henry Friston (1820–1906) was a British illustrator and figure painter in the Victorian Era.

In their critical companion to the 1858 Royal Academy of Arts exhibition, the Council of Four record the presence of Friston's work A Rising Artist, in the West Room of the galleries, noting of Friston "Considerable character in the boy[1] By 1863 Friston had started making illustrations for various books and periodicals, including The Churchman's Family Magazine (1863), Tinsley's Magazine (1867), extensively for the Illustrated London News between 1869 and 1878, The Boys' Herald and Dark Blue (1871–73).

[2] His illustrations for journals include many engravings accompanying reviews of the original productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operas or plays of W. S. Gilbert in the 1870s, including The Princess (1870), Thespis (1871), The Wicked World (1873), The Realm of Joy (1873), The Happy Land (1873), Sweethearts (1874), Tom Cobb (1875), Trial by Jury (1875), H.M.S.

It noted of the detail of Friston's creation: "His head and hands appear small, almost feminine, his sideburns are ridiculously long, and his figure is plump, dwarfed by the oversize coat.

[9] Also in the late 1880s, Friston illustrated the work of the American Mary Noailles Murfree, writing as Charles Egbert Craddock.