Gertrude HARVEY
The daughter of John Mathews Bodinnar, a cooper, and Ann Crews Bodinnar (nee Curnow), Gertrude was the eighth of ten children and was Cornish-born. Her first contact with art was as a model that included posing for her future husband Harold HARVEY, and the experience fascinated her. She made notes of how the painters worked, and she discovered in herself a talent for art and design.
She and Harold later married in about 1911. Gertrude used mostly oil on canvas, board, card or paper, but also tempera, gouache and sketches (sold at NAG), and also enjoyed needlework and clothing design. In the 1920s and 30s she exhibited her work at various galleries in London, including the RA and the Leicester Galleries. Often she showed work together with her husband in mixed and group shows. Her style has been likened to Alethea GARSTIN's.
Prior to her marriage she lived at Pembroke Cottage, Newlyn (1879-81), and by the 1891 Census she was at 49 Trewarveth Street, Newlyn. After her marriage she and her husband moved to Maen Cottage, Elms Close Terrace, Newlyn and she stayed there after his death (in 1941) until 1960 when she moved to the Benoni Nursing Home in St Just.
media
Painter of flowers, landscapes; needlework and clothing designer, in a range of styles and media
works and access
Likenesses of the Artist: The Flower Painter (Harold Harvey 1930); Gertrude in the Kitchen at Maen Cottage (Harold Harvey 1923); The Critics ( Harold Harvey 1922, figure seated at right); Gertrude Harvey (Laura Knight pencil sketch)
Works include: Kitchen still life (1920); Near St Ives; Vase of Flowers (c1930); Flowers (1932); Cornfield
Access to works: Penlee House, Penzance; Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery
exhibitions
Leicester Galleries, London 1918 and 1920 (shared with Harold)
RA (20) 1930 (er first) and regularly up to 1949
NSA
NAG Summer 1921, December 1924 (painting and knitted bags), Spring 1925, Dec 1925, Dec 1926
STISA Summer 1929, Summer 1947 and Winter 1947 Touring Shows
Birmingham 1939
Falmouth Art Gallery Women Artists in Cornwall 1880-1940 1996
memberships
NSA
STISA 1945-47
references
The Cornishman 8 Dec 1926
Hardie (1995) 100 Years in Newlyn: Diary of a Gallery
Hardie (2009) Artists in Newlyn and West Cornwall (col pl: Cornfields facing p145)
Knight (1936) Oil Paint and Grease Paint;
London Royal Academy Exhibitors 1905-1970
McConkey, Risdon & Sheppard ( 2001) Harold Harvey: Painter of Cornwall;
Risdon [in Hardie 2009) 'The Harveys' (pp101-2 (illus photos)
Wallace (1996) Women Artists in Cornwall 1880-1940;
Tovey (2003) Creating a Splash
Who's Who in Art 1934 edition