Gwen Barnard (1912–1988) was a British artist notable for her ability as a painter and printmaker. Barnard's early paintings were naturalistic and with time her approach became more abstract, throughout her career rock shapes and river scenes, particularly of the River Thames, were constant themes.

Biography

Barnard studied at the

Chelsea School of Art Chelsea College of Arts is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, a public art and design university in London, England. It offers further and higher education courses in fine art, graphic design, interior design, produ ...

between 1931 and 1935 and then at the

Euston Road School The Euston Road School is a term applied to a group of English painters, active either as staff or students at the School of Drawing and Painting in London between 1937 and 1939. The School opened in October 1937 at premises in Fitzroy Street, Lo ...

in 1937 and 1938. Her first solo exhibition was at the Beaux Arts Gallery in London. She contributed works to group exhibitions and had further solo shows hosted by the

Artists' International Association The Artists' International Association (AIA) was an organisation founded in London in 1933 out of discussion among Pearl Binder, Clifford Rowe, Misha Black, James Fitton, James Boswell, James Holland, Edward Ardizzone, Peter Laszlo Peri'Art ...

, at the

Camden Arts Centre Camden Art Centre (known as Hampstead Arts Centre until 1967 and Camden Arts Centre until 2020) is a contemporary art gallery in the London Borough of Camden, England. It hosts temporary exhibitions and educational outreach projects, with a prog ...

in 1976, the Upper Street Gallery in London and at overseas venues. In 1955 she illustrated ''Shapes of the River'', a book on the Thames. The book was published by the

Gaberbocchus Press The Gaberbocchus Press was a London publishing house founded in 1948 by the artist couple Stefan and Franciszka Themerson. Alongside the Themersons, the other directors of the Press were the translator Barbara Wright and the artist Gwen Barnard ...

of which Barnard was a director and for whom she illustrated several volumes. Barnard was a member of the

Women's International Art Club The Women's International Art Club, briefly known as the Paris International Art Club, was founded in Paris in 1900. The club was intended to "promote contacts between women artists of all nations and to arrange exhibitions of their work", and ...

and served as the Club's chair for a time. She was also a member of the

Royal Institute of Oil Painters The Royal Institute of Oil Painters, also known as ROI, is an association of painters in London, England, and is the only major art society which features work done only in oil. It is a member society of the Federation of British Artists. Histor ...

. For many years Barnard lived in

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

in north London and wrote a history of the local Mall Studios, where she worked, for the Camden History Review in 1980.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnard, Gwen 1912 births 1988 deaths 20th-century British painters 20th-century British women painters Alumni of Chelsea College of Arts Artists from London British historians British illustrators British printmakers British women illustrators British women printmakers