Bettina Shaw-Lawrence
Encyclopedia
Bettina Shaw-Lawrence also known as Betty Shaw-Lawrence, is an English 20th century figurative artist born in 1921. Though she studied painting and drawing under Fernand Léger
, Cedric Morris
and Arthur Lett-Haines
, was mainly self-taught. The artist worked professionally until the early 1980s.
ings. Her other favourite mediums are black and white or coloured ink
drawings. She is also a book illustrator
, "widely known as a portrait painter", and a sculptor. Her works are represented in private collections. From 1946 onwards, the artist had several solo and group exhibitions in galleries of contemporary Art in London, Rome and New York.
The artist attended, before the outbreak of the Second World War, drawing classes under Fernand Léger
and studied sculpture with Ossip Zadkine
in Paris. During those formative years David Gascoyne
, the Surrealist poet, was her mentor,,. On her return to London in September, 1939, Shaw-Lawrence met David Kentish
and Lucian Freud
both students at Cedric Morris
and Arthur Lett-Haines
' East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing
. This encounter enabled her to spend the summer of 1940 studying under the artist Cedric Morris and though she returned to the School at Benton End near Hadleigh, Suffolk, for short spells during the war, Shaw-Lawrence mainly painted in Richmond-upon-Thames .
In the aftermath of the Second World War, Bettina travelled to the Continent. Countries such as Spain or France inspired her works and were subsequently exhibited at The Leicester Galleries and the Hanover Gallery. In 1958 Shaw-Lawrence left England to move to Italy where her oils on canvas became more luminous and serene though her work " might be sets for very sophisticated doll dramas". Her paintings were steeped in "a world of crystalline beauty, alive and real", a world devoid of intruders "because of this power of hers to purify reality and restore it to innocence".
However, from the 1970s onwards, with the advent of abstract art
, figurative
artwork went into decline affecting the artist's self-confidence. Bettina Shaw-Lawrence has now settled permanently in Italy with her daughter.
.
Its catalogue comprised: 16 oil paintings and 12 drawings (ink and gouache, ink and water-colour, coloured inks and chalk as well as one pastel), most of which depicted landscapes, flowers or still-lives with the exception of one portrait of David Gascoyne
.
In 1948, The Penguin New Writing n°33 edited by John Lehmann
published two of her works from this exhibition: 'Richmond Bridge' (oil) and 'Boy with a Donkey' (coloured inks).
1953 - Hanover Gallery - London. The artist's second show was also announced in The Times
.
The catalogue listed 18 oil paintings.
1963 - Bodley Gallery
- 223 East 60th Street, New York . April 15, 1963
The exhibition catalogue comprises 40 "oil on canvas", all pertaining to the artist's Italian period. Her exhibition was announced by ARTnews
.
1975 - Wivenhoe Arts Club - Wivenhoe
(Essex)
"An exhibition of paintings and drawings by Bettina Shaw-Lawrence opened at the club on Saturday evening and among the guests was Mr Arthur Lett-Haines
, one of the leaders of the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing
where Miss Shaw-Lawrence studied many years ago. There are 39 works in the exhibition... which will remain open for the next three weeks",.
in Paris. On this occasion, her portrait entitled 'Portrait with a Rose' was selected for the cover of The Listener to announce a BBC
radio programme on the art of the Trompe l'Oeil
',dated February 3, 1955.
The Bodley catalogue dated 1963, confirms that when Bettina Shaw-Lawrence lived in Rome, Italy (1959–1967) her works were exhibited " at the Obelisco and Gallery 88".
In 1985, Bettina Shaw-Lawrence took part in the exhibition entitled 'The Benton End Circle' which was held at Bury St Edmunds Art gallery in Bury St Edmunds (Suffolk). On that occasion the artist sold a pen and ink drawing of Lucian Freud
posing in the nude for the students of the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing
at Benton End in the early 1940s (see external link). This was her last exhibition and it had taken place in a gallery located close to Benton End where she had always longed to be during the war years and would "always remember the lovely times I've had down there".
, her husband Harry Leuckert, David Kentish
, his sister, the actress Elizabeth Kentish, the poet David Gascoyne
, and the journalist and writer Paul Johnson (writer).
. OCLC
7840602
1949 - Shaw-Lawrence, Bettina and Fassam, Thomas. 'An Herbarium For The Fair: Being a Book of Common Herbs with Etchings by Betty Shaw-Lawrence'.London: The hand & Flower Press.
1972 - Shaw-Lawrence, Bettina.Festchrift for KFB (Katherine Falley Bennett). London: The Lyrebird Press, Micro-dot-Book. p. 167 and a double page drawing p. 140 - 141. OCLC 1121430
1979 - Shaw-Lawrence, Bettina, Durrell, Lawrence
.'Apple Grammar'. London: Poetry London
/Apple Magazine, vol.1 N°1.p. 79. OCLC 6257472
1989 - Shaw-Lawrence, Bettina. Tambimuttu Bridge Between Two Worlds. London: Peter Owen Publishers
. p. 236. OCLC 25026573
Fernand Léger
Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
, Cedric Morris
Cedric Morris
Sir Cedric Lockwood Morris, 9th Baronet was a British artist, art teacher and plantsman. He was born in Swansea but worked mainly in East Anglia...
and Arthur Lett-Haines
Arthur Lett-Haines
Arthur Lett-Haines , known as Lett Haines, was a British painter and sculptor who experimented in many different media, though he generally characterised himself as "an Engish surrealist". He was part of a London artistic circle, which included D. H...
, was mainly self-taught. The artist worked professionally until the early 1980s.
Biography
Born on 29 July 1921 in London, Bettina Shaw-Lawrence is a post-World War II artist. Her work is figurative and expresses itself mainly through oil paintOil paint
Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. The viscosity of the paint may be modified by the addition of a solvent such as turpentine or white spirit, and varnish may be added to increase the glossiness of the...
ings. Her other favourite mediums are black and white or coloured ink
Ink
Ink is a liquid or paste that contains pigments and/or dyes and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing and/or writing with a pen, brush, or quill...
drawings. She is also a book illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
, "widely known as a portrait painter", and a sculptor. Her works are represented in private collections. From 1946 onwards, the artist had several solo and group exhibitions in galleries of contemporary Art in London, Rome and New York.
The artist attended, before the outbreak of the Second World War, drawing classes under Fernand Léger
Fernand Léger
Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
and studied sculpture with Ossip Zadkine
Ossip Zadkine
Ossip Zadkine was a Belarusian-born artist who lived in France. He is primarily known as a sculptor, but also produced paintings and lithographs.-Early years and career:...
in Paris. During those formative years David Gascoyne
David Gascoyne
David Gascoyne was an English poet associated with the Surrealist movement.-Early life and Surrealism:...
, the Surrealist poet, was her mentor,,. On her return to London in September, 1939, Shaw-Lawrence met David Kentish
David Kentish
David Kentish was a British artist and actor producer.-Early life and training:David Kentish was educated at Bryanston School and trained as an artist under Sir Cedric Morris and Arthur Lett-Haines at the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing, together with Lucian Freud and Bettina...
and Lucian Freud
Lucian Freud
Lucian Michael Freud, OM, CH was a British painter. Known chiefly for his thickly impasted portrait and figure paintings, he was widely considered the pre-eminent British artist of his time...
both students at Cedric Morris
Cedric Morris
Sir Cedric Lockwood Morris, 9th Baronet was a British artist, art teacher and plantsman. He was born in Swansea but worked mainly in East Anglia...
and Arthur Lett-Haines
Arthur Lett-Haines
Arthur Lett-Haines , known as Lett Haines, was a British painter and sculptor who experimented in many different media, though he generally characterised himself as "an Engish surrealist". He was part of a London artistic circle, which included D. H...
' East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing
East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing
The East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing was an art learning environment established by Cedric Morris and Arthur Lett-Haines in East Anglia in 1937. It was run on very idiosyncratic lines based upon the "free rein" approach that was then current in French academies...
. This encounter enabled her to spend the summer of 1940 studying under the artist Cedric Morris and though she returned to the School at Benton End near Hadleigh, Suffolk, for short spells during the war, Shaw-Lawrence mainly painted in Richmond-upon-Thames .
In the aftermath of the Second World War, Bettina travelled to the Continent. Countries such as Spain or France inspired her works and were subsequently exhibited at The Leicester Galleries and the Hanover Gallery. In 1958 Shaw-Lawrence left England to move to Italy where her oils on canvas became more luminous and serene though her work " might be sets for very sophisticated doll dramas". Her paintings were steeped in "a world of crystalline beauty, alive and real", a world devoid of intruders "because of this power of hers to purify reality and restore it to innocence".
However, from the 1970s onwards, with the advent of abstract art
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
, figurative
Figurative art
Figurative art, sometimes written as figurativism, describes artwork—particularly paintings and sculptures—which are clearly derived from real object sources, and are therefore by definition representational.-Definition:...
artwork went into decline affecting the artist's self-confidence. Bettina Shaw-Lawrence has now settled permanently in Italy with her daughter.
Solo exhibitions
1947 - The Leicester Galleries - London. This first exhibition of the artist was announced by The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
.
Its catalogue comprised: 16 oil paintings and 12 drawings (ink and gouache, ink and water-colour, coloured inks and chalk as well as one pastel), most of which depicted landscapes, flowers or still-lives with the exception of one portrait of David Gascoyne
David Gascoyne
David Gascoyne was an English poet associated with the Surrealist movement.-Early life and Surrealism:...
.
In 1948, The Penguin New Writing n°33 edited by John Lehmann
John Lehmann
Rudolf John Frederick Lehmann was an English poet and man of letters, and one of the foremost literary editors of the twentieth century, founding the periodicals New Writing and The London Magazine.The fourth child of journalist Rudolph Lehmann, and brother of Helen Lehmann, novelist Rosamond...
published two of her works from this exhibition: 'Richmond Bridge' (oil) and 'Boy with a Donkey' (coloured inks).
1953 - Hanover Gallery - London. The artist's second show was also announced in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
.
The catalogue listed 18 oil paintings.
1963 - Bodley Gallery
Bodley Gallery
The Bodley Gallery was a prominent art gallery in New York City, USA, from the late 1940s through the early 1980s. The Bodley specialized in contemporary and modern art. David Mann was director of the gallery during its heyday and Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Braun The Bodley Gallery was a prominent art...
- 223 East 60th Street, New York . April 15, 1963
The exhibition catalogue comprises 40 "oil on canvas", all pertaining to the artist's Italian period. Her exhibition was announced by ARTnews
ARTnews
ARTnews is an arts magazine based in New York, founded by James Clarence Hyde in 1902 as Hyde’s Weekly Art News. It is published 11 times a year.ARTnews covers all art, from ancient to Post-modernism...
.
1975 - Wivenhoe Arts Club - Wivenhoe
Wivenhoe
Wivenhoe is a town in north eastern Essex, England, approximately south east of Colchester. Historically Wivenhoe village, on the banks of the River Colne, and Wivenhoe Cross, on the higher ground to the north, were two separate settlements but with considerable development in the 19th century the...
(Essex)
"An exhibition of paintings and drawings by Bettina Shaw-Lawrence opened at the club on Saturday evening and among the guests was Mr Arthur Lett-Haines
Arthur Lett-Haines
Arthur Lett-Haines , known as Lett Haines, was a British painter and sculptor who experimented in many different media, though he generally characterised himself as "an Engish surrealist". He was part of a London artistic circle, which included D. H...
, one of the leaders of the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing
East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing
The East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing was an art learning environment established by Cedric Morris and Arthur Lett-Haines in East Anglia in 1937. It was run on very idiosyncratic lines based upon the "free rein" approach that was then current in French academies...
where Miss Shaw-Lawrence studied many years ago. There are 39 works in the exhibition... which will remain open for the next three weeks",.
Further exhibits
The artist's first exhibits in London included the Reid & Lefèvre Gallery and the Léger Gallery. These were followed in 1955 by the Arthur Jeffress Gallery in London in collaboration with the Galerie CharpentierGalerie Charpentier
The Galerie Charpentier was a gallery of historic and contemporary art in Paris, located at 76, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, at the corner with rue Duras....
in Paris. On this occasion, her portrait entitled 'Portrait with a Rose' was selected for the cover of The Listener to announce a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio programme on the art of the Trompe l'Oeil
Trompe l'oeil
Trompe-l'œil, which can also be spelled without the hyphen in English as trompe l'oeil, is an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects appear in three dimensions.-History in painting:Although the phrase has its origin in...
',dated February 3, 1955.
The Bodley catalogue dated 1963, confirms that when Bettina Shaw-Lawrence lived in Rome, Italy (1959–1967) her works were exhibited " at the Obelisco and Gallery 88".
In 1985, Bettina Shaw-Lawrence took part in the exhibition entitled 'The Benton End Circle' which was held at Bury St Edmunds Art gallery in Bury St Edmunds (Suffolk). On that occasion the artist sold a pen and ink drawing of Lucian Freud
Lucian Freud
Lucian Michael Freud, OM, CH was a British painter. Known chiefly for his thickly impasted portrait and figure paintings, he was widely considered the pre-eminent British artist of his time...
posing in the nude for the students of the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing
East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing
The East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing was an art learning environment established by Cedric Morris and Arthur Lett-Haines in East Anglia in 1937. It was run on very idiosyncratic lines based upon the "free rein" approach that was then current in French academies...
at Benton End in the early 1940s (see external link). This was her last exhibition and it had taken place in a gallery located close to Benton End where she had always longed to be during the war years and would "always remember the lovely times I've had down there".
Portrait artist
Among the painter's sitters were the designer Jean MuirJean Muir
Jean Elizabeth Muir, CBE, FCSD was an English fashion designer .-History and early career:...
, her husband Harry Leuckert, David Kentish
David Kentish
David Kentish was a British artist and actor producer.-Early life and training:David Kentish was educated at Bryanston School and trained as an artist under Sir Cedric Morris and Arthur Lett-Haines at the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing, together with Lucian Freud and Bettina...
, his sister, the actress Elizabeth Kentish, the poet David Gascoyne
David Gascoyne
David Gascoyne was an English poet associated with the Surrealist movement.-Early life and Surrealism:...
, and the journalist and writer Paul Johnson (writer).
Book illustrator
1946 - William Miller Abrahams. 'Interval in Carolina'. Jacket designed by Bettina Shaw-Lawrence. London: Editions Poetry LondonPoetry London
Poetry London is a London-based literary periodical. As Poetry London: A Bi-Monthly of Modern Verse and Criticism it was founded by Tambimuttu and the first issue was dated January/February 1939.In a new form the magazine is still in print....
. OCLC
OCLC
OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. is "a nonprofit, membership, computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world’s information and reducing information costs"...
7840602
1949 - Shaw-Lawrence, Bettina and Fassam, Thomas. 'An Herbarium For The Fair: Being a Book of Common Herbs with Etchings by Betty Shaw-Lawrence'.London: The hand & Flower Press.
1972 - Shaw-Lawrence, Bettina.Festchrift for KFB (Katherine Falley Bennett). London: The Lyrebird Press, Micro-dot-Book. p. 167 and a double page drawing p. 140 - 141. OCLC 1121430
1979 - Shaw-Lawrence, Bettina, Durrell, Lawrence
Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence George Durrell was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer, though he resisted affiliation with Britain and preferred to be considered cosmopolitan...
.'Apple Grammar'. London: Poetry London
Poetry London
Poetry London is a London-based literary periodical. As Poetry London: A Bi-Monthly of Modern Verse and Criticism it was founded by Tambimuttu and the first issue was dated January/February 1939.In a new form the magazine is still in print....
/Apple Magazine, vol.1 N°1.p. 79. OCLC 6257472
1989 - Shaw-Lawrence, Bettina. Tambimuttu Bridge Between Two Worlds. London: Peter Owen Publishers
Peter Owen Publishers
Founded in 1951, Peter Owen Publishers is a family-run London-based independent publisher. Notable authors on an eclectic list include Paul and Jane Bowles, the Japanese Catholic author Shusaku Endo, Dali, Gide, Cocteau, Colette, Soseki, Mishima, Karoline Leach, the revisionist biographer of Lewis...
. p. 236. OCLC 25026573
External links
- A selection of 28 paintings by Bettina Shaw-Lawrence
- http://www.apollo-magazine.com/features/5651003/lucian-freuds-rite-of-passage.thtml- Lucian Freud c. 1940: pen and ink study by Bettina Shaw-Lawrence: view image 3 of article entitled 'Lucian Freud's Rite of Passage'.
- A Portrait of Bettina Shaw-Lawrence by David Kentish and further information concerning the two artists and Lucian Freud
- The Leicester Galleries October 1947 exhibition catalogue n° 864
- Portrait of John by Bettina Shaw-Lawrence on Flickr