Mary Fedden Exhibition 2019

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MARY FEDDEN 24 JANUARY – 15 FEBRUARY 2019 Monday – Friday 10am – 6pm and by appointment

PORTLAND GALLE RY 3 BENNET STREET T E L E P H O N E 020 7493 1888

LONDON SW1A 1RP EMAIL lizzie@portlandgallery.com

www.portlandgallery.com Front cover: The Black Table

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Oil on canvas 30 x 20 ins Catalogue no.5

Back cover: Vase of Flowers

Oil on canvas 30 x 20 ins Catalogue no.2


MARY FEDDEN OBE RA RWA (1915-2012) In 1932, when she was 17 years old, Mary Fedden arrived at the Slade School of Art. Most of the Slade’s teaching at the time consisted of learning to paint still lifes and landscapes, in a broadly realistic style and in a muted colour palette. The exception was Vladimir Polunin, the émigré stage designer who came to England as Diagelev’s main designer for the Ballets Russes: “He gave me a direction for colour and design that I didn’t get from the rest of the staff… looking back I am sure he was wonderfully inspirational to me”. It was also through Polunin that Mary first met Julian Trevelyan- whilst she was still at the Slade, and he had just married his first wife, Ursula Darwin.

In the Spring of 1949, following Julian’s split from Ursula, he and Mary travelled to Sicily. They drove down though Europe in Julian’s Hillman, and stayed on the island for more than two months: “It was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me, and almost the most wonderful thing that ever did happen”, she later recalled. When they returned to London, Mary moved into Julian’s house at Durham Wharf and they married in 1951. Durham Wharf was their home and studio, and they painted in adjacent rooms, often giving each other advice, and influencing one another’s style. After Julian’s death (in 1988) Mary said, “I miss his bright, discerning eye everyday”.

Very few artists have had as long and productive a career as Mary’s. The works in this exhibition cover a period of over sixty years, but only two were painted before Julian and Mary’s relationship began. Both “Still Life with Staffordshire Zebra” (cat.no.1) and “Vase of Flowers” (cat.no.2) are stylistically quite different from the rest. In their life-like representation and dark palette, we see the influence of the Slade’s painterly ethos, whilst a kind of neo-romanticism is also present. Mary was a great admirer of Samuel Palmer’s early sepia drawings and paintings- she was especially drawn to their moonlight, and to their deep, rich shadows. Mary’s style didn’t stop evolving, but it would be difficult to highlight another point at which such a clear and defined transition is seen, as at this moment. 1. Still Life with Staffordshire Zebra (Redcliffe Road) Signed and dated '1946' (lower left); further signed, inscribed and dated 'Redcliffe Rd., 1946' (on artist's label verso) Oil on canvas 30 x 20 ins Literature:

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With the passage of time, Mary’s colours become bolder and the objects in her paintings become clearer. In many of the earlier paintings, she allowed objects to overlap. Her very latest works are pared down to their pure essence, with flat plains of colour and carefully placed objects- she liked them to have their own space. Nevertheless, her work retains its distinctive style. To look at almost

Mel Gooding, Mary Fedden, Scolar Press, Aldershot, 1995, p.17, illustrated The Artist, March 1995, illustrated, front cover

any painting or work on paper by Mary, is to instantly recognise it as hers. From Polunin to Julian, Mary spoke of a variety of influences on her work, and yet her own character always shines through: “I get my ideas from photographs, from other painters, from flower catalogues (but) I have always hoped I’ve got enough sort of handwriting to change things into something that is mine alone”.

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3. Figures in a Provenรงal Garden

4. Breton Pipes

Signed and dated '1951' (lower left)

Signed and dated '1953' (lower left)

Oil on canvas 21 x 17 ins

Oil on canvas 24 x 33 ins

Provenance:

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Ian McVitie Weston Gallery Private Collection

Exhibited:

Pallant House Gallery, Magic Realities: The Artistic Marriage of Mary Fedden & Julian Trevelyan, held at Petworth House, July 2006, catalogue not traced

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6. Flower and Pear Signed and dated '1987' (lower left) Gouache 3 x 5 ins Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner

7. The Cake Signed and dated '1978' (lower right) Oil on canvas 20 x 30 ins Provenance:

Richard Green, where purchased by the previous owner

Literature:

Christopher Andreae, Mary Fedden: Enigmas and Variations, p. 121, plate 136, illustrated

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8. The Blue Table Signed and dated '1975' (lower right) Oil on canvas 20 x 30 ins Provenance:

Purchased from the 1975 exhibition by the grandmother of the present owner

Exhibited:

London, New Grafton Gallery, September 1975, cat. no. 5

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9. Still Life with Lemon Signed and dated '1971' (lower left) Gouache and pastel 11 x 15 ins Provenance:

Ian McVitie Weston Gallery Private Collection

10. Volcano Signed and dated '1996' (lower left) Oil on board 24 x 20 ins Provenance:

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Redfern Gallery, where purchased by the previous owner

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11. Julian in Spain

12. Siesta in Spain

Signed and dated ‘1983’ (lower right)

Signed and dated '1984' (lower left)

Oil on board 8 x 6 ins

Oil on board 16 x 20 ins

Provenance:

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Ian McVitie Weston Gallery Private Collection

Provenance:

Bohun Gallery, Henley-on-Thames, where purchased by the mother of the present owner

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13. Julian and Bird

14. Spanish Village

Signed and dated '1984' (lower left)

Signed and dated '1982' (lower left)

Gouache 10 x 7 ins

Oil on canvas 16 x 20 ins

Provenance:

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Michael Parkin Gallery, where puchased by the previous owner

Provenance:

New Grafton Gallery, where purchased by the husband of the previous owner in 1982

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15. The Orange Table Signed and dated '1996' (lower left) Oil on canvas 30 x 36 ins Provenance:

Purchased at the 1996 exhibition by the present owner

Exhibited:

London, Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition, 1996, cat. no. 644

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16. Slice of Watermelon

17. Half an Avocado

Signed and dated '1992' (lower left)

Signed and dated '1986' (lower right)

Gouache 10 x 7.5 ins

Oil on board 16 x 20 ins

Provenance:

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Milne and Moller, where purchased by the previous owner

Provenance:

Purchased at the 2008 exhibition by the present owner

Exhibited:

London, New Grafton Gallery, 25th Anniversary Show Part II, June 1993 London, Portland Gallery, Mary Fedden, A Retrospective, 8-30 May 2008

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18. Strawberry Hill Signed and dated '1990' (lower right) Oil on canvas 24 x 30 ins Provenance:

Private Collection

Literature:

Christopher Andreae, Mary Fedden, Enigmas and Variations, Lund Humphries, Farnham, 2007, p. 72, no. 75, illustrated

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19. At Prisoners' Cove Signed and dated '04' (lower left), further signed and titled on a label (attached to the stretcher) Oil on canvas 16 x 20 ins Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner

Exhibited:

London, Portland Gallery, Mary Fedden - A Retrospective, 8 - 30 May 2008 (on loan)

Literature:

JosĂŠ Manser, Mary Fedden and Julian Trevelyan: Life and Art by the River Thames, Unicorn Press Ltd, London, 2012, p.191 illustrated

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20. Julian Walking the Dog

21. The Inland Sea

22. Julian by the Sea

23. Julian in Brittany

Signed and dated '1988' (lower left)

Signed and dated '04’ (lower right)

Signed and dated '1987' (lower left)

Signed and dated '1996' (lower left)

Gouache 10 x 10 ins

Gouache 7.5 x 8.5 ins

Gouache 5.5 x 4 ins

Oil on board 12 x 16 ins

Provenance:

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Private Collection

Provenance:

Kaye Michie Fine Art, where purchased by the previous owner

Provenance:

Private Collection

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24. The White Cliff Signed and dated '1971' (lower right), further signed and titled (on a label attached to the stretcher) Oil on canvas 16 x 20 ins Provenance:

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Private Collection

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25. The Shepherdess

26. The Marriage Ceremony

Signed and dated '1975' (lower right)

Signed and dated '1984' (lower left)

Signed and dated '1985' (lower right)

Signed and dated '1975' (lower right)

Gouache 7.5 x 5 ins

Gouache 8 x 6 ins

Gouache 8.25 x 6.75 ins

Gouache 5 x 5.5 ins

Provenance:

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Ian McVitie Weston Private Collection

Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner

28. Winter Scene (Lady with Gamp)

27. Winter's Day

Provenance:

Private Collection

Provenance:

Gifted by the artist to the previous owner in 1975

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29. Fish and Lemon Signed and dated '1964' (lower left) Oil on canvas 16 x 20 ins Provenance:

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Acquired directly from the artist Private Collection

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30. On the Shore

31. Two Ladies on the Shore

32. Lady and Dog on the Shore

33. Woman and Lighthouse

Signed and dated '1988' (lower right)

Signed and dated '1988' (lower right)

Signed and dated '1988' (lower right)

Signed and dated '1993' (lower right)

Gouache 7.5 x 5.5 ins

Gouache 3.75 x 5.5 ins

Gouache 5.5 x 5.5 ins

Oil on board 6.5 x 8 ins

Provenance:

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Private Collection

Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner

Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner

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34. Two Ladies and Button Boots

35. Blue Window in France

Signed and dated '1983' (lower left)

Signed and dated '1980' (lower left)

Gouache 6.5 x 8.5 ins

Oil on canvas 24 x 20 ins

Provenance:

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Ian McVitie Weston Gallery Private Collection

Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

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36. Yellow Lilies Signed and dated '1982' (lower left)

Signed and dated '1986' (lower left)

Oil on canvas 20 x 16 ins

Oil on board 17.5 x 22.5 ins

Provenance:

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37. In the Harbour

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

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38. The Oystercatcher Signed and dated '1992' (lower left) Oil on board 20 x 24 ins Provenance:

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Castlegate House Gallery, Cockermouth, where purchased by the previous owner

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39. The Tabby Cat

41. Sleeping Cat and Speckled Egg

Signed and dated '1991' (lower right)

Signed and dated '1991' (lower left)

Gouache 4.75 x 9 ins

Gouache and pastel 5.75 x 9 ins

Provenance:

Provenance:

Private Collection

40. The White Cat

42. Cat and Mouse

Signed and dated '1991' (lower left)

Signed and dated '1992' (lower left)

Gouache 5 x 9 ins

Gouache 6 x 12 ins

Provenance:

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Private Collection

Private Collection

Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist by the family of the previous owner

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44. Sheep

43. Sheep

45. Sheep at Sunset

Signed (lower left)

Signed and dated '1991' (lower left)

Signed and dated '1993' (lower right)

Oil on board 6.5 x 8 ins

Gouache 4.25 x 4.5 ins

Gouache 10.5 x 6.25 ins

Provenance:

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Private Collection

Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist by the great aunt of the previous owner

Provenance:

Private Collection

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46. Looking for Motley Gouache 10 x 14 ins Literature:

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47. Still Life with Pears and Jug Signed and dated '1996' (lower right)

Susannah Amoore, with illustrations by Mary Fedden, Motley the Cat, Penguin, London, 1997, illustrated, unpaged

Gouache and collage 8.25 x 9 ins Provenance:

Private Collection

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48. Bird on a Branch

49. Still Life with Fish, Lemon and Grapes

Signed and dated '’05' (lower left)

Signed and dated ‘02’ (lower left)

Oil on canvas 9.5 x 8 ins

Gouache 6 x 8 ins

Provenance:

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Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner

Provenance:

Private Collection, USA

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50. Grapes

51. The Green Chair

Signed and dated '04' (lower right)

Signed and dated '1981' (lower left)

Gouache 9.5 x 11 ins

Oil on canvas 20 x 16 ins

Provenance:

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Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner

Provenance:

Private Collection

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53. Still Life with Fish and Butterfly

54. Still Life with Cat by the Sea

Signed and dated '07' (lower left)

Signed and dated '07' (lower left)

Signed, inscribed and dated '1981' (lower left)

Gouache 6.5 x 11 ins

Gouache 6.5 x 10 ins

Gouache 9.75 x 8 ins

52. Still Life with Fish and Butterfly

Provenance:

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Private Collection

Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner

Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist by the great aunt of the previous owner

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55. Clown and Zebra

56. Flat Bottom Cups

Signed, inscribed and dated '08'

Signed and dated '05' (lower right)

Gouache 6 x 6.5 ins

Gouache 7.5 x 11 ins

Provenance:

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Gifted by the artist to the mother of the previous owners

Provenance:

Acquired directly from the artist by the previous owner

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57. Three Brushes

58. Still Life Under the Moon

Signed and dated '09' (lower left)

Signed and dated '10' (lower left)

Oil on canvas 20 x 24 ins

Oil on canvas 20 x 24 ins

Provenance:

Purchased from the 2010 exhibition by the present owner

Exhibited:

London, Portland Gallery, Mary Fedden, Recent Works, 27 May - 11 June 2010, cat. no. 23

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Provenance:

The Estate of Mary Fedden

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59. Black Jug

60. Fruit with Melon

Signed and dated '09' (lower right)

Signed and dated '10' (lower left)

Oil on canvas 20 x 24 ins

Oil on canvas 10 x 12 ins

Provenance:

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The Estate of Mary Fedden

Provenance:

The Estate of Mary Fedden

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MARY FEDDEN OBE RA RWA 1915 1932-36 1930s 1940s

1944-46 1951 1951, 61, 80 1958-1967 1965-70 1984-1988 1992 1996 1997 2006

2008 2009 2010 2011

Born in Bristol Studied at Slade School of Art Painted stage designs for Sadler’s Wells and the Arts Theatre Served in the Land Army and Woman’s Voluntary Service; Commissioned to produce murals for war effort Worked as driver for Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes Married the artist Julian Trevelyan Murals for Festival of Britain, P&O Liner, Charing Cross Hospital Taught at Royal College of Art Taught at Yehudi Menuhin School President of the Royal West of England Academy Elected Royal Academician in the Senior Order Major exhibition at the Royal West of England Academy, Bristol Appointed OBE Exhibition, Pallant House, Chichester, Magic Realities: The Artistic Marriage of Mary Fedden and Julian Trevelyan, Jul – Aug Mary Fedden, A Retrospective, Portland Gallery (regularly since) Awarded an honorary degree from the University of Durham Mauve Still Life, 1968 exhibited at Tate Britain to celebrate the artist’s 95th birthday Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, Mary Fedden Celebration

Bibliography:

Public Collections include:

Christopher Andreae, Enigmas and Variations, Lund Humphries, 2007 Mel Gooding, Mary Fedden, Scolar Press, 1995

Bath University Bristol Art Gallery Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery Chelsea and Westminster Health Charity Contemporary Art Society, London Derbyshire and Derby Library Service Durham University Falmouth Art Gallery Government Art Collection Guildford House Gallery Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry Hereford City Art Gallery HM The Queen's Collection Lakeland Arts Trust Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge National Gallery of New Zealand HYPERLINK "http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/galleries/collections/ national-museum-of-walesamgueddfa-cymru-1615" \o "National Museum of Wales / Amgueddfa Cymru" National Museum of Wales New Art Gallery, Walsall New Hall Art Collection, University of Cambridge Newport Museum and Art Gallery Pallant House, Chichester Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery Paintings in Hospitals, London Reading Museum Royal West of England Academy, Bristol Sheffield Museum and Art Gallery Southampton City Art Gallery Swindon City Art Gallery Tate Gallery, London Tullie House Museum, Carlisle University of Chichester, Otter Gallery University College London Hospitals

Illustrated Books: Susannah Amoore & Mary Fedden, Motley the Cat, Puffin Books, 1999 Jane Gardam & Mary Fedden, The Green Man, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1998 Mary Fedden, Birds, Windrush Press, 1999

University of Leeds Art Gallery University of York Victoria Art Gallery, Bath Warwick University Williamson Art Gallery and Museum, Birkenhead York City Art Gallery

61. Still Life in France Signed and dated '1981' (lower left); further signed and titled (on a label attached to the backboard) Pencil and gouache 30 x 22 ins Provenance:

The Southover Gallery, Lewes, 1981, where purchased by the previous owner

Exhibited:

Lewes, The Southover Gallery, July 1981


62. Boats in a Harbour, Baltimore Signed and dated '01' (lower right) Gouache 7 x 10 ins

Portland Gallery exclusively represents The Estate of Mary Fedden.


PORTLAND GALLERY


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