Helen Saunders (pronounced Saːnders) was born in Bedford Park, Ealing, London.[1] She studied at the Slade School of Art in 1907, attending three days a week till the Spring term. She later attended the Central School of Arts and Crafts which offered more technical training than the Slade. By 1912 Saunders' work had become "recognisably Post Impressionist", and in February her painting "Rocks, North Devon" was accepted by The Friday Club (an exhibiting group set up by Vanessa Bell). She exhibited works at Galerie Barbazanges and at the Allied Artists Association.[2]
Saunders exhibited in the Twentieth Century Art exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1914, one of the first British artists to work in a nonfigurative style.[3] In 1915 she became associated with the Vorticists through the artist Wyndham Lewis,[4] signing the Vorticist's manifesto in the first edition of the literary magazineBLAST and contributing to their inaugural exhibition.[3] She and Jessica Dismorr were the only female members.[3] Saunders was fluent in both French and German and during World War I worked in the office of the United Kingdom Government Censor.[5]
Saunders exhibited with the London Group in 1916, but from 1920 she increasingly turned away from the avant-garde and adopted a more realist style, working in still life, landscapes and portraiture, and latterly exhibiting with the Holborn Art Society. Despite her long career, fewer than 200 of her works are currently known. She was included in the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University when it hosted an exhibition entitled The Vorticists: Rebel Artists in London and New York, 1914–18 in late 2010.[6] Saunders died of accidental coal gas poisoning at her home in Holborn, London, on 1 January 1963.[3] Later that year, her sister Ethel donated three of her Vorticist drawings to the Tate Gallery, and one to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
"Since Saunders' early work earned her a respected place in experimental circles, the gathering obscurity of her later years seems cruel. She endured the neglect with uncomplaining stoicism, for her innate warmth prevented her from succumbing to bitterness."
In 2022, her painting Atlantic City known from a photograph in BLAST, was found beneath the painting Praxitella by Wyndham Lewis.[7]
Notable worksedit
Abstract Multicoloured Design, c.1915. Gouache, watercolour and graphite on paper. Tate.[1]
Monochrome Abstract Composition, c.1915. Ink, watercolour and graphite on paper. Tate.[2]
Exhibition Historyedit
Drawings Gallery Display - Helen Saunders, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/10/2022-29/01/2023[8]
Women in Abstraction, Centre-Pompidou, Paris, 05/05/2021-23/08/2021[9]
Blast to Freeze, Les Abattoirs, Toulouse, France, 24/02/2003-11/05/2003[10]
Modern Art in Britain 1910-1914, Barbican Art Gallery, London, 20/02/1997-26/05/1997[11]
Helen Saunders (1885-1963), Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 09/01/1996-03/03/1996; Graves Art Gallery, Sheffield, 16/03/1996-20/04/1996
Vorticism and its allies, Hayward Gallery, London, 27/03/1974-02/06/1974[12]
^Peppin, Brigid. 'Helen Saunders, 1885–1963', Ashmolean Museum Oxford, 1996
^Pepin, Brigid (1996). Helen Saunders 1885–1963. Dagenham: Lipscomb Printers. p. 6.
^ abcdCarolyn Trant (2019). Voyaging Out: British Women Artists from Suffrage to the Sixties. Thames & Hudson. ISBN9780500021828.
^"Helen Saunders: forging her own path | Art UK". artuk.org. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
^Catherine Speck (2014). Beyond the Battlefield, Women Artists of Two World Wars. Reaktion Books. ISBN978-178023-374-1.
^Nasher Museum 7 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 17 September 2010
^"'Fit of pique': lost vorticist masterpiece found under portrait by contemporary". the Guardian. 21 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
^"Vorticist composition, blue and green | The Courtauld Gallery Collection Online". gallerycollections.courtauld.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
^"Women in Abstraction". Centre Pompidou. 19 July 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
^Hughes, Henry Meyric; Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, eds. (2002). Blast to freeze: British art in the 20th century ; [on the occasion of the Exhibition Blast to Freeze: British Art in the 20th Century, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, 14 September 2002 - 19 January 2003 ; Les Abbatoirs, Toulouse, 24 February - 11 May 2003]. Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje Cantz. ISBN978-3-7757-1248-4.
^"Modern Art in Britain 1910-1914 | Barbican". www.barbican.org.uk. 20 February 1997. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
^Engert, Gail; Hayward Gallery; Arts Council of Great Britain, eds. (1974). Vorticism and its allies: Hayward Gallery London [27.3. - 2.6.1974]. London: Arts Council of Great Britain. ISBN978-0-7287-0034-5.
External linksedit
21 artworks by or after Helen Saunders at the Art UK site
Richard Cork, "Vorticists (act. 1914–1919)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 2 July 2007
Helen Saunders, Works in Tate Gallery collection
Helen Saunders, Works at the Courtauld Institute
March 15, 2024
helen, saunders, april, 1885, january, 1963, english, painter, associated, with, vorticist, movement, born4, april, 1885bedford, park, ealing, london, englanddied1, january, 1963, 1963, aged, holborn, london, englandeducationslade, school, artcentral, school, . Helen Saunders 4 April 1885 1 January 1963 was an English painter associated with the Vorticist movement Helen SaundersBorn4 April 1885Bedford Park Ealing London EnglandDied1 January 1963 1963 01 01 aged 77 Holborn London EnglandEducationSlade School of ArtCentral School of Arts and CraftsKnown forPainting Contents 1 Biography 2 Notable works 3 Exhibition History 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksBiography editHelen Saunders pronounced Saːnders was born in Bedford Park Ealing London 1 She studied at the Slade School of Art in 1907 attending three days a week till the Spring term She later attended the Central School of Arts and Crafts which offered more technical training than the Slade By 1912 Saunders work had become recognisably Post Impressionist and in February her painting Rocks North Devon was accepted by The Friday Club an exhibiting group set up by Vanessa Bell She exhibited works at Galerie Barbazanges and at the Allied Artists Association 2 nbsp Abstract Multicoloured Design 1915 Tate Gallery Saunders exhibited in the Twentieth Century Art exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1914 one of the first British artists to work in a nonfigurative style 3 In 1915 she became associated with the Vorticists through the artist Wyndham Lewis 4 signing the Vorticist s manifesto in the first edition of the literary magazine BLAST and contributing to their inaugural exhibition 3 She and Jessica Dismorr were the only female members 3 Saunders was fluent in both French and German and during World War I worked in the office of the United Kingdom Government Censor 5 Saunders exhibited with the London Group in 1916 but from 1920 she increasingly turned away from the avant garde and adopted a more realist style working in still life landscapes and portraiture and latterly exhibiting with the Holborn Art Society Despite her long career fewer than 200 of her works are currently known She was included in the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University when it hosted an exhibition entitled The Vorticists Rebel Artists in London and New York 1914 18 in late 2010 6 Saunders died of accidental coal gas poisoning at her home in Holborn London on 1 January 1963 3 Later that year her sister Ethel donated three of her Vorticist drawings to the Tate Gallery and one to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London In 1996 Richard Cork wrote Since Saunders early work earned her a respected place in experimental circles the gathering obscurity of her later years seems cruel She endured the neglect with uncomplaining stoicism for her innate warmth prevented her from succumbing to bitterness In 2022 her painting Atlantic City known from a photograph in BLAST was found beneath the painting Praxitella by Wyndham Lewis 7 Notable works editAbstract Multicoloured Design c 1915 Gouache watercolour and graphite on paper Tate 1 Monochrome Abstract Composition c 1915 Ink watercolour and graphite on paper Tate 2 Exhibition History editDrawings Gallery Display Helen Saunders The Courtauld Gallery London 14 10 2022 29 01 2023 8 Women in Abstraction Centre Pompidou Paris 05 05 2021 23 08 2021 9 Blast to Freeze Les Abattoirs Toulouse France 24 02 2003 11 05 2003 10 Modern Art in Britain 1910 1914 Barbican Art Gallery London 20 02 1997 26 05 1997 11 Helen Saunders 1885 1963 Ashmolean Museum Oxford 09 01 1996 03 03 1996 Graves Art Gallery Sheffield 16 03 1996 20 04 1996 Vorticism and its allies Hayward Gallery London 27 03 1974 02 06 1974 12 See also editKate LechmereReferences edit Peppin Brigid Helen Saunders 1885 1963 Ashmolean Museum Oxford 1996 Pepin Brigid 1996 Helen Saunders 1885 1963 Dagenham Lipscomb Printers p 6 a b c d Carolyn Trant 2019 Voyaging Out British Women Artists from Suffrage to the Sixties Thames amp Hudson ISBN 9780500021828 Helen Saunders forging her own path Art UK artuk org Retrieved 19 January 2023 Catherine Speck 2014 Beyond the Battlefield Women Artists of Two World Wars Reaktion Books ISBN 978 178023 374 1 Nasher Museum Archived 7 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 17 September 2010 Fit of pique lost vorticist masterpiece found under portrait by contemporary the Guardian 21 August 2022 Retrieved 21 August 2022 Vorticist composition blue and green The Courtauld Gallery Collection Online gallerycollections courtauld ac uk Retrieved 4 March 2024 Women in Abstraction Centre Pompidou 19 July 2021 Retrieved 4 March 2024 Hughes Henry Meyric Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg eds 2002 Blast to freeze British art in the 20th century on the occasion of the Exhibition Blast to Freeze British Art in the 20th Century Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg 14 September 2002 19 January 2003 Les Abbatoirs Toulouse 24 February 11 May 2003 Ostfildern Ruit Hatje Cantz ISBN 978 3 7757 1248 4 Modern Art in Britain 1910 1914 Barbican www barbican org uk 20 February 1997 Retrieved 4 March 2024 Engert Gail Hayward Gallery Arts Council of Great Britain eds 1974 Vorticism and its allies Hayward Gallery London 27 3 2 6 1974 London Arts Council of Great Britain ISBN 978 0 7287 0034 5 External links edit21 artworks by or after Helen Saunders at the Art UK site Richard Cork Vorticists act 1914 1919 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press 2004 accessed 2 July 2007 Helen Saunders Works in Tate Gallery collection Helen Saunders Works at the Courtauld Institute Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Helen Saunders amp oldid 1211849716, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
