Mabel Allington Royds. (1874-1941)
'A Study of Rabbits and Lilies'.
Mixed Media on Paper. Possibly Plan for Woodblock Print.
Image: 25x 11cm. Framed
(Reference: 612) Price: £550
Provenance: Fine Art Society, Bond Street, London.
Born in Bedfordshire, Royds grew up in Liverpool. She won a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy, London, at the age of 15 years. However, she had already decided to go to the Slade. After the Slade, Royds moved to Paris and studied with the painter Walter Sickert. This she followed by travelling to Canada and teaching at Havergal College, Toronto. in 1911, Royds returned and began teaching at the Edinburgh School of Art, working alongside S.J. Peploe. In 1913, she married the etcher, Ernest Lumsden. Together they travelled in Europe, India and the Middle East. Royds' work was greatly influenced by Japanese woodcuts and is perhaps best known for her colourful woodcuts of flowers, along with Indian and Biblical scenes. Her work after 1918 became increasingly graphic and decorative in style. Royds also worked on books and became well known for her distinctive depiction of animals, children and cats. Unable to afford traditional pear wood boards for her woodblock prints, she bought breadboards from Woolworths as substitutes. The woodblock was often preceded by collage plans, several of which survive.
Works by Royds are held in the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and other museums, national and private collections.
An artist's sketch has the rawness of the artist's first thoughts and inspirations.
N.B. any unevenness in the colour of the paper/mount is due to the reflection as the picture is glazed.