Marion Richardson (1892-1946)

An artist in her own right, Richardson’s talent was recognised early on, when she studied at the Birmingham Municipal School of Arts & Crafts from 1908-1912. Graduating as an art teacher she took a position as Art Mistress at the Dudley Girls High School, where she developed her own ground-breaking methods, that would stimulate children’s visual perceptions and inspire self-expression. She met the artist Roger Fry in 1917 at his exhibition of Children’s Art at the Omega Galleries in London. Here she also met the English artist Vanessa Bell (1879-1961) and the Scottish artist Duncan Grant (1885-1978), who along with Fry, were members of the Bloomsbury Group (whose belief was centred around the importance of the arts). On showing Fry some of her pupils’ work she was thrilled with his positive response. Fry was so impressed that he included some of the paintings in the exhibition and became an advocate for her teaching methods and the artistic output. He would go on to become pivotal in bringing her to the public’s attention. Alongside this, their friendship would endure and along with Fry’s sister, they travelled extensively and spent much time in each others company, sharing similar beliefs on art as a medium through which a child could articulate their individuality and emotions.

An exhibition organised by Richardson in 1923-24 of her pupils’ work, at the Independent Galleries in London, attracted huge press interest and in January 1924 Vogue nominated her for its ‘Hall of Fame’. Marion soon began to give lectures about her teaching methods and ingenious approach to art, across the country and in 1930 became a Schools Inspector of Art for London County Council. In this position she ran courses for teachers and visited schools to give lectures. These proved highly popular, with stiff competition for places. She went on to tour Canada and the USA in 1934 and broadened her scope to children’s writing patterns, which culminated in a book titled Writing and Writing Patterns, which was designed to help children express themselves through their own writing style. This was based on natural movements and writing patterns, which enabled children to devise their own style. The book was used in UK schools until the 1980s.

In 1938 Richardson arranged a highly successful exhibition of children’s art at County Hall in London, which comprised of work from 500 children from schools across London. The English art historian Kenneth Clark, (1903-1983), who had also become a great friend, declared the exhibition open and it proved so popular that over 24,000 people visited, including Queen Mary and her daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Margaret. Outside of lecturing and teaching Richardson spearheaded reformative arts and crafts initiatives. She led one of the first experiments in art therapy at Winson Green Prison in Birmingham, to great effect.

On her retirement, Richardson moved back to Dudley where she was able to finish the manuscript for her book titled Art and the Child. She died in 1946, the day after writing the book’s dedication (it was published posthumously in 1948). In 1947 Athene, the Journal of the Society for Education in Art, dedicated a special edition to honour Richardson, with notable patrons and advisory panel members including Duncan Grant, Henry Moore, Herbert Read and Sir Kenneth Clark. They declared her a trailblazer in art education and someone who had significantly influenced the reformation of the education system, particularly in the teaching of art and handwriting of young children.

Her contribution to the world of art, which focused on ground-breaking methods for personal expression and artistic freedom, would leave a lasting legacy. She influenced everyone from art critics to educational theorists, so much so that in the 1980s the Department of Education and Science funded a series of fellowships enabling teachers to experiment with her ideas in the classroom again. As a mark of honour, a primary school in London named Marion Richardson Primary School still remains to this day.

The Collection

Richardson’s personal art collection remained within her family for many years and now comes to the market for the first time via descent. Commenting on the collection, Head of Sale, Francesca Whitham said, “This is a beautiful collection of works by both Roger Fry and Marion Richardson, which tells a story about a friendship that was formed around the shared beliefs in the importance of art education. The provenance, alongside the fact that the works are fresh to the market makes for a very exciting collection.”

Among the works on offer is Lot 1, a charming self portrait by Richardson in pencil. This is a simple yet captivating vision of herself looking straight into the eyes of the viewer. We also have Lot 10, a portrait of Richardson’s mother, Ellen Richardson. This work takes you into a serene scene, utilising simple yet powerful strokes to cleverly contrast the dark against the robust red of the chair back and flowers.

We also have Lot 12, a landscape work by Richardson, capturing Burnham Marsh in Norfolk, offering a pastel-coloured snippet of the calm British countryside, where the onlooker is a first-hand witness to the beauty of nature. In contrast to the British countryside, there is Lot 6, a lovely village scene in the South of France. Here, Richardson contrasts the warm sun through the trees and the burnt earth, against the figures in silhouette in the distance.

The bulk of the selection of works offered here are by Richardson’s great friend and artist, Roger Fry. They include a painting in rich earthy tones, titled Wooded Landscape with Hills Beyond (Lot 5) which is signed, dated and dedicated to Richardson from Fry “Marion Richardson/with best wishes for Christmas/1926 Roger Fry”. The selection also includes a number of colourful still life works by Fry, including Still Life of a Jar, Apples and a Candlestick Holder (Lot 7), as well as a striking work titled Flower Piece (Lot 4). Amongst the smaller works by Fry we have Lot 3, the charming Townscape and Church, Segovia, Spain in red chalk, dating from 1923; and House by the Water’s Edge (Lot 2) which was created in ink.

The collection also features a number of works from the British School (20^th century), such as Lot 8, Still Life of Coffee Pot, Tureen and Dish, as well as Lot 9, Still Life of Apples and Pears.

Another interesting work is Lot 11, an etching by Graham Sutherland who was well-known as an artist for experimenting in other mediums, such as glass design, printmaking and even tapestry. This work, dating from 1938 is titled Pastoral. It is signed in pencil and dedicated to Richardson: “With best wishes for Christmas/& love from Jane & Kenneth Clark”, indicating that it was a gift from the artist, Kenneth Clark, to Richardson.

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Auction Details

Wednesday 13 March, 10.30am GMT
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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VIEWING:

• Viewing in Newbury:
  • Sunday 10 March: 10am-3pm
  • Monday 11 March: 10am-4pm
  • Tuesday 12 March: 10am-4pm
  • Wednesday 13 March: 8.30am-4pm
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