Primrose Harley became Primrose Roper and Primrose Codrington (19 April 1908 – 22 April 1978) was a British painter and gardener. As an artist she was known for her paintings and murals.

Life

Harley was born on Primrose Day 19 April 1908, at 25 Harley Street, St Marylebone, the London home of her parents Vaughan Harley (1864–1923) and Mary 'Ming' née Blagden (1869–1936). Harley studied at Chelsea Polytechnic, where she was taught by

Graham Sutherland Graham Vivian Sutherland (24 August 1903 – 17 February 1980) was a prolific English artist. Notable for his paintings of abstract landscapes and for his portraits of public figures, Sutherland also worked in other media, including printmakin ...

, and then attended the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing under

Cedric Morris Sir Cedric Lockwood Morris, 9th Baronet (11 December 1889 – 8 February 1982) was a British artist, Visual arts education, art teacher and plantsman. He was born in Swansea in South Wales, but worked mainly in East Anglia. As an artist he is be ...

. She completed a set of murals for Dorland Hall, the then headquarters of

British European Airways British European Airways (BEA), formally British European Airways Corporation, was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. BEA operated to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East from airports around the United Kingdom. The ...

Regent Street Regent Street is a major shopping street in the West End of London. It is named after George IV of the United Kingdom, George, the Prince Regent (later George IV) and was laid out under the direction of the architect John Nash (architect), J ...

in central London. During her artistic career Harley exhibited at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

in London, with the

New English Art Club The New English Art Club (NEAC) is a society for contemporary artists that was founded in London, England, in 1886 as an alternative venue to the Royal Academy. The NEAC holds an annual exhibition of paintings and drawings at the Mall Galleries ...

, the

London Group The London Group is a society based in London, England, created to offer additional exhibiting opportunities to artists besides the Royal Academy of Arts. Formed in 1913, it is one of the oldest artist-led organisations in the world. It was form ...

and with the

Society of Women Artists The Society of Women Artists (SWA) is a British art body dedicated to celebrating and promoting fine art created by women. It was founded as the Society of Female Artists (SFA) in 1855, offering women artists the opportunity to exhibit and sell ...

. In 1936 Harley married Lt-Col John Alfred Codrington (1898–1991) a career soldier who had a lifelong interest in plants. They divorced in 1942 and she later married the landscape gardener Lanning Roper (1912–1983) in 1952 and worked with him on his landscaping projects. Harley died on 22 April 1978 at her home in Chelsea.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Harley, Primrose 1908 births 1978 deaths 20th-century English painters 20th-century English women artists Alumni of Chelsea College of Arts English horticulturists English people of Scottish descent English women painters Painters from the City of Westminster People from Marylebone 20th-century British women painters