(Julia) Beatrice How (1865-1932) was a painter in oil and pastel of figure subjects, interiors, still lifes, and nudes. According to the official England & Wales Civil Registration Birth Index she was born in Q4 1865 (and not 1867 as has been reported historically) into a well known family of merchants and silversmiths at Northam, near Bideford in North Devon, and she had four sisters and two brothers, Beatrice being the youngest child of John How. She studied art at the Herkomer Art School at Bushey in Hertfordshire in 1889 (source: Grant Longman) and according to the 1891 Census she was living as a boarder of independent means at Holdenhurst, near Bournemouth. She first arrived in France in 1893 and studied at the Academie Delacluse. Beatrice How lived with other artists in Paris and moved to rue d'Assas around 1902 (source: Dr Yann Gobert-Sergent).
Read more
In 1901, and perhaps before then, she spent some time in England as the England & Wales Census taken that year records her residing with two of her sisters in West Cliff, Bournemouth. Dr Yann Gobert-Sergent also notes that How had a studio in Etaples, south of Boulogne, from 1904 to 1916 but spent most of her time in the 20th century living in Paris, where her work was held in high regard. Her last major exhibition in France was held in 1929 (source: Dr Yann Gobert-Sergent). Beatrice How exhibited two works at the Royal Academy in 1924 and another painting 'L'Infirmiere' was shown there posthumously in 1936 (this work is now in the collection of Tate Britain having been acquired for the nation under the terms of the Chantrey Bequest). Her work is held in a number of public collections, especially in France, including Musée du Luxembourg Paris, Musée d'Orsay Paris, Musée des Beaux-Arts Lyon, and also in Philadelphia Museum of Art USA, Victoria & Albert Museum, Atkinson Art Gallery Southport, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Kelvingrove Art Gallery Glasgow, and Victoria Art Gallery Bath. She returned to England during her last illness and died at Bedford Lodge, Hertford. A memorial exhibition of her work was held in 1935 at The New Burlington Galleries in London. In 1979 The Fine Art Society held a major show of her work at their galleries in London W1 and Edinburgh.
Text source: Grant Waters
