New donation:
student works by Hilda Mary Long
26 April - 7 May 2010
The selection of paintings and drawings for this exhibition was made from a portfolio of student works by Hilda Mary Long that was donated to Birmingham City University Art and Design Archives last July.
Hilda Mary Long studied at Birmingham School of Art between 1917 and 1924. After completing an Intermediate course in art, she undertook further studies in book illustration, poster design and figure composition. Although the works on display illustrate the variety of subjects and media she worked in as a student, they focus upon her portraits and book illustrations.
In the years immediately following World War I, there was a strong emphasis within art education on the learning of drawing skills and techniques. In addition to drawing from the cast and drawing and painting animals, birds and plants from life, Hilda would have studied geometry, anatomy, perspective, the principles of design and the treatment of light and shade. Only in the more advanced classes would she have been introduced to the drawing and painting of the human figure from life. Most of the works in the exhibition have thus been taken from the later years of her period of study at the School.
The exhibition runs from 26 April to 7 May 2010 in the print corridor of the School of Art in Margaret Street. It is open weekdays only, from 9.30am to 5.30pm. The paintings and drawings form part of the Birmingham School of Art archive. If you require further information, please contact Fiona Waterhouse on 0121 331 6981.