Winifred Eugene BALLARD (1885-1921) (under the tutelage of Augustus John and William Orpen) Life stu

Winifred Eugene BALLARD (1885-1921) (under the tutelage of Augustus John and William Orpen) Life study Charcoal drawing from the Chelsea Art School (1903-1907) 62x48cmNote:This collection of competent life drawing studies by Winifred Ballard interestingly illustrate the liberal, progressive nature of Augustus John and William Orpen's short lived Chelsea Art School. Situated in Flood Street in Chelsea and run between 1903 and 1907, the school admitted female pupils who were encouraged to draw from life models, albeit with chaperones, but this was something that previously, societal restrictions had simply not permitted women to do.A whole ten years later in 1913 when Laura Knight exhibited her groundbreaking 'Self Portrait with Model' which depicted herself painting a nude, times were still extremely repressive for women and the response was highly critical. Winifred was 18 years old when she first attended the school. The influence of Augustus John's tutelage (for he did most of the teaching, and by all accounts Orpen was very hands-off) is very apparent in her confident lines and mark-making, and when studying her drawings, we can almost feel the presence of John standing behind his student, guiding and advising her. Winifred Eugenie BALLARD Born Chester 1885. Daughter of Edward George Ballard, mineralogist, Governor Inspector of Mines in Cornwall circa 1914, living at Trelights near Port Issac. Previously lived in Holland Park, London when Winifred was under the tutelage of Augustus John and William Orpen at Chelsea art school between 1903 and 1907. Married Richard Varley 1919 in Chester Cathedral, moved to Hollow Barn Cottage, Kingston Ridge, died in 1921, Kingston Lewes, Sussex.