Anna Airy (6 June 1882 - 23 October 1964) was an British oil painter, pastel artist and etcher. She was one of the first women officially commissioned as a war artist and was recognised as one of the leading women artists of her generation.
Early life
Airy was born in Greenwich, London, the daughter of an engineer, Wilfrid Airy, and Anna née Listing, and the granddaughter of the Astronomer Royal George Biddell Airy.
Airy trained at the Slade School of Fine Art in London from 1899-1903, where she studied alongside William Orpen and Augustus John, and under Fred Brown, Henry Tonks and Philip Wilson Steer.
Airy won prizes at the Slade School for portrait, figure, and other subjects including the Slade School Scholarship in 1902.
She also won the Melville Nettleship Prize in 1900, 1901 and 1902.
Work
During World War I, Airy was given commissions in a number of factories and painted her canvases on site in often difficult and, sometimes, dangerous conditions.
For example, while working at great speed to paint A Shell Forge at a National Projectile Factory, Hackney Marshes, London in an extremely hot environment, "the ground became so hot that her shoes were burnt off her feet".
This painting was featured in an exhibition at the Imperial War Museum's 2011–2012 exhibition Women War Artists.
In June 1918 the Munitions Committee of the Imperial War Museum, IWM. commissioned her to create four paintings representing typical scenes in four munitions factories.
These included:
• National Projectile Factory at Hackney;
• National Filling Factory at Chilwell, Nottingham, W G Armstrong Whitworth's at Nottingham;
• Aircraft Manufacturing Co. at Hendon;
• South Metropolitan Gas Co.
The Chilwell commission was replaced by a request for a painting of work at the Singer factory in Glasgow.
Airy was also commissioned by the Women's Work Section of the IWM during the war.
In 1917 she was commissioned by the Canadian War Memorials Fund; and in 1940 by the Ministry of Munitions.
Her work was also part of the art competitions at the 1928 Summer Olympics and the 1932 Summer Olympics.
Airy was married to the artist Geoffrey Buckingham Pocock and for many years the couple lived at Haverstock Hill in Hampstead before moving to Playford near Ipswich.
Exhibitions
Airy's work was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1905 and in each subsequent year there until 1956, her first one-woman exhibition having been held at the Carfax Gallery in 1908.
Airy also exhibited at exhibitions at the Paris Salon and in Italy, Canada and in the United States.
She has been represented in the British Museum; the Victoria and Albert Museum; and the Imperial War Museum.
Her work also appeared in the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney as well as in Auckland, New Zealand; Vancouver and Ottawa in Canada; and in the Corporation Art Galleries of Liverpool, Leeds, Huddersfield, Birkenhead, Blackpool, Rochdale, Ipswich, Doncaster, Lincoln, Harrogate, Paisley and Newport.
A painting by Airy, The Golden Plum Tree, shown at a 1916 exhibition of works by female artists was acquired by Queen Mary.
Her etching Forerunners of Fruit (c.1925) is in the collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Memberships
Airy was a member of several artistic societies.
She was elected as a member of The Pastel Society in 1906.
She also joined the Royal Society of Painters and Etchers in 1908 when the society elected her.
She was also an elected member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (1909), Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (1918), and Member of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts (1952).
She was elected as the President of the Ipswich Art Society in 1945. | Source: © Wikipedia
Anna Airy (6 giugno 1882 - 23 ottobre 1964) è stata una pittrice ad olio, pastellista ed acquaforte Inglese.
È stata una delle prime donne ufficialmente incaricate come artista di guerra ed è stata riconosciuta come una delle principali artiste della sua generazione.
Airy è nata a Greenwich, Londra, figlia di un ingegnere, Wilfrid Airy e nipote dell'astronomo reale George Biddell Airy.
Airy si formò alla Slade School of Fine Art di Londra dal 1899 al 1903, dove studiò insieme ad William Orpen ed Augustus John, sotto Fred Brown, Henry Tonks e Philip Wilson Steer.
Airy ha vinto premi alla Slade School per ritratti, figure ed altri soggetti, inclusa la borsa di studio Slade School nel 1902.
Ha anche vinto il Melville Nettleship Prize nel 1900, 1901 e 1902.
Il lavoro
Durante la prima guerra mondiale, Airy ricevette incarichi in diverse fabbriche e dipinse le sue tele in loco in condizioni spesso difficili ed, a volte, pericolose.
Ad esempio, mentre lavorava a grande velocità per dipingere A Shell Forge presso una National Projectile Factory, Hackney Marshes, Londra in un ambiente estremamente caldo, "il terreno è diventato così caldo che le sue scarpe si sono bruciate dai piedi".
Questo dipinto è stato presentato in una mostra alla mostra Women War Artists dell'Imperial War Museum del 2011-2012.
Nel giugno 1918 il Comitato munizioni dell'Imperial War Museum, IWM. le commissionò di creare quattro dipinti che rappresentano scene tipiche in quattro fabbriche di munizioni:
Questi includevano:
Fabbrica nazionale di proiettili a Hackney;
National Filling Factory a Chilwell, Nottingham, W G Armstrong Whitworth's a Nottingham;
Aircraft Manufacturing Co. a Hendon;
South Metropolitan Gas Co.
La commissione Chilwell è stata sostituita da una richiesta per un dipinto di un'opera presso la fabbrica Singer di Glasgow.
Airy è stato anche incaricato dalla Sezione Lavoro delle Donne dell'IWM durante la guerra.
Nel 1917 fu commissionata dal Canadian War Memorials Fund; e nel 1940 dal Ministero delle munizioni.
Il suo lavoro faceva anche parte delle competizioni artistiche alle Olimpiadi estive del 1928 e alle Olimpiadi estive del 1932.
Airy era sposata con l'artista Geoffrey Buckingham Pocock e per molti anni la coppia ha vissuto a Haverstock Hill ad Hampstead prima di trasferirsi a Playford vicino a Ipswich.
Mostre
Il lavoro di Airy fu esposto alla Royal Academy nel 1905 ed in ogni anno successivo fino al 1956, la sua prima mostra personale si tenne alla Galleria Carfax nel 1908.
Airy espose anche in mostre al Salon di Parigi e in Italia, Canada e negli Stati Uniti.
È stata rappresentata al British Museum; il Victoria and Albert Museum; e il Museo Imperiale della Guerra.
Il suo lavoro è apparso anche all'Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney e ad Auckland, in Nuova Zelanda; Vancouver e Ottawa in Canada; e nelle Corporation Art Galleries di Liverpool, Leeds, Huddersfield, Birkenhead, Blackpool, Rochdale, Ipswich, Doncaster, Lincoln, Harrogate, Paisley e Newport.
Un dipinto di Airy, The Golden Plum Tree, mostrato in una mostra del 1916 di opere di artiste, fu acquisito dalla Queen Mary.
La sua incisione Forerunners of Fruit (1925 circa) è nella collezione della Art Gallery del New South Wales. | Fonte: © British Wikipedia
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