Dorothea SHARP
Born in Dartford, Kent. Despite her family's disapproval, she trained at Regent Street Polytechnic under George CLAUSEN and David Murray, and in Paris where she discovered the work of Monet. The latter greatly influenced her handling of subjects and colour in impressionist fashion. The Artist (journal) made much of her work, considering her to be one of the greatest women painters of her time.
She first visited St Ives in 1920 and took one of the Porthmeor Studios which she retained over many years, despite also having a permanent home in London all of her life. In St Ives she also met her lifelong friend Marcella SMITH. In 1928, when the St Ives Society of Artists was re-organising its efforts and inviting distinguished artists to become honorary members, Dorothea Sharp was one of those invited.
During WWII she moved to St Ives and she and her friend, Marcella SMITH became prominent members of STISA. Titles include Paddling at St Ives (c1930), Sand Castles (B&W Ill, Falmouth Exh Cat), A Sunlit Garden, The Warren, St Ives (c1930) and Flowers in a Window. Her paintings are held in many permanent collections.
media
Landscape, figure and flower painter, and writer/editor
works and access
Access to Work: Belfast, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Doncaster, Leamington, Manchester, Newcastle, Newport, Northampton, Oldham; Rochdale; Stoke; Torquay; Worthing// Auckland, Harare; Hobart; Prior Gallery, Cheltenham; Johannesburg and others
Sea-Bathers (Newport Museum and Art Gallery); White Ducks (Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery) repr Tovey 2003 col pl; Woman and Child on the Foreshore (oil on canvas) at Penlee House, Penzance
exhibitions
RA (54); Chenil; Connell (34); FIN; GL; GI (11); Cheltenham (Prior); RBA (154); RHA; ROI (44); RSA; SWA (107); STISA
Women Artists (Falmouth AG, Group 1996)
Women Painters (Penlee, Group 2002)
memberships
SWA; RBA; ROI; VPSWA; STISA; London Women's Club
references
Personal bibliography: Author of Series of self-illustrated articles on 'Oil Painting' [in] The Artist, from Vol 1, No 1, March 1931 - 1932. [Many ills of this artist's work and her posed photo] 'Artists of Note, No 2' in series: 'Dorothea Sharp, ROI, RBA' [in] The Artist, April 1935 pp 55-58, with coloured plate of her painting Cornish Holiday and other illustrations.
Biography: H Entwisle (2010) Dorothea Sharp, A Biography
General:
Cross Shining Sands
Hardie (2009) Artists/Newlyn & West Cornwall p344-5, col pl: Woman and child
Hoyle, H (Sept 2010 Women Artists in Cornwall www.cornishmuse.blogspot.com) Review of 'Sea Change' exhibition, Penlee House)
Johnson & Greutzner
Public Catalogue Foundation (PCF) Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly: Oil Paintings in Public Ownership
Tovey (2000) George Fagan Bradshaw - Submariner & Marine Artist, etc. STISA Principal members list p228
Tovey (2003) Creating a Splash (Illus)
Wallace et al (1996) Women Painters in Cornwall 1880-1940
Whybrow (1994) St Ives
Wormleighton Morning Tide