Mary Fedden (1915-2012) Sold

Mary Fedden was born in Bristol, where she attended Badminton School. She left school to study at the Slade School of Art from 1932 - 1936. After leaving the college she made a living teaching, painting portraits and producing stage designs for Sadlers Wells and the Arts Theatre. At the outbreak of the Second World War, she served in the Land Army and the Woman's Voluntary Service and was commissioned to produce murals for the war effort. In 1944 she was sent abroad as a driver for the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes. After the war, Fedden returned to easel painting and developed her individual style of flower paintings and still life’s, which were reminiscent of Braque and Matisse. The painting is in excellent condition and measures Height 16.5 cms by 22 cms wide an oil on board, still life of flowers. 

In an article in 'The Artist' magazine, Fedden wrote: 'I really float from influence to influence. I found the early Ben Nicholson's fascinating as were the paintings of his wife Winifred. I also admire the Scottish artist Anne Redpath and the French painter Henri Hayden”.

In 1951 Mary Fedden married the artist Julian Trevelyan who she had met before the war. They lived in a studio on the Thames River at Chiswick, where she also worked up until she day she passed away. Together, she and her husband travelled widely and even collaborated on a mural commission for Charing Cross Hospital. Fedden received several other commissions for murals, most importantly from the Festival of Britain (1951), the P & O Liner, Canberra (1961) as well as from schools and hospitals.

From 1958-1964 she taught at the Royal College of Art and was appointed the first female tutor in the Painting School. Her pupils included David Hockney and Allen Jones. Subsequently, Fedden taught at the Yehudi Menuhin School and was elected Royal Academician. From 1984 to 1988 she was President of the Royal West of England Academy. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Bath and an O.B.E. for her work. In 2009 Mary Fedden was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Durham. In 2008 a retrospective of 125 paintings was held at the Portland Gallery in London who went on to represent her. She became a regular exhibitor at a number of significant galleries including The Redfern, New Grafton Gallery and Beaux Art. Her work is admired worldwide, she has a large private collector base and her work is held in many Public Collections which include:

Tate Gallery, Pallant House Chichester, HM The Queens Collection, Bath University Bristol Art Gallery Contemporary Art Society Falmouth Art Gallery The UK Government Art Collection Hereford City Art Gallery, National Gallery of New Zealand New Hall Cambridge, Peterborough Museum Royal West of England Academy Sheffield Museum and Art Gallery and Swindon City Art Gallery.

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