Adshead, Mary, 1904–1995

Morning after the Flood 1928

Mary Adshead (1904–1995)

Tate

Artist, decorator, painter of murals and illustrator, born in London, her father an architect and good watercolourist, Stanley Adshead. For several years from 1921 attended Slade School of Fine Art, in 1924 being chosen by Henry Tonks to undertake a mural commission with Rex Whistler, a fellow-student, which led to several more commissions, including murals for Bank underground station, London. In 1929 married the artist and writer Stephen Bone. Following year had a one-man show at Goupil Gallery, also exhibiting at NEAC, RA, SWA and elsewhere. Retrospective at Sally Hunter Fine Art, 1986. Among other work completed by Mary Adshead from the early 1930s was a series of drawings and watercolours of Crystal Palace; London Underground posters; wall panels to decorate the restaurant of the British Pavilion at the 1937 Paris International Exhibition; stamp designs for the General Post Office in 1949; and the decoration of Selfridges’ restaurant, in 1950, with jungle murals.

Text source: 'Artists in Britain Since 1945' by David Buckman (Art Dictionaries Ltd, part of Sansom & Company)

Mary Adshead: more than a muralist
Victoria Rodrigues O'Donnell

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

Biography on Wikipedia

Biography from LISS LLEWELLYN

Mary Adshead studied at the Slade School of Fine Art (1920–24) under Henry Tonks (1862–1937), who in 1924 selected her for a mural commission at Highways boys’ club in Shadwell, working with Rex Whistler (1905–1944).

She became a prominent muralist, creating decorations for both public and private spaces, including the British Pavilion at the 1937 Paris International Exhibition. She also illustrated several books, such as The Little Boy and His House by Stephen Bone (1904–1958) (whom she married in 1929), and made designs for London Transport and the Post Office.

As a noteworthy female artist, Adshead exhibited frequently at the WIAC from the mid –1930s, before serving on their committee in 1951. Working at a time when expectations of women were still largely confined to issues of domesticity, her prodigious professional output was noteworthy. Her approach to mural painting – especially in her choice of subjects and her colourful palette – challenged the perceived divisions which determined that public and private spaces should necessarily be treated differently. She was the subject of a retrospective at Liverpool Art Gallery in 2005.

^{Biography from Liss Llewellyn}

Biography from Liss Llewellyn

Mary Adshead studied at the Slade School of Fine Art (1920–24) under Henry Tonks (1862–1937), who in 1924 selected her for a mural commission at Highways boys’ club in Shadwell, working with Rex Whistler (1905–1944).

She became a prominent muralist, creating decorations for both public and private spaces, including the British Pavilion at the 1937 Paris International Exhibition. She also illustrated several books, such as The Little Boy and His House by Stephen Bone (1904–1958) (whom she married in 1929), and made designs for London Transport and the Post Office.

As a noteworthy female artist, Adshead exhibited frequently at the WIAC from the mid –1930s, before serving on their committee in 1951. Working at a time when expectations of women were still largely confined to issues of domesticity, her prodigious professional output was noteworthy. Her approach to mural painting – especially in her choice of subjects and her colourful palette – challenged the perceived divisions which determined that public and private spaces should necessarily be treated differently. She was the subject of a retrospective at Liverpool Art Gallery in 2005.

^{Biography from Liss Llewellyn}

Portraits of Mary Adshead

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