Dame Ethel Walker (British, 1861-1951) Portrait of a Girl in Green oil on canvas 59 x 49cm proven

Dame Ethel Walker (British, 1861-1951) Portrait of a Girl in Green oil on canvas 59 x 49cm provenance: private collection, Norfolk ethel Walker was inspired to become an artist after seeing a collection of oriental art in Edinburgh. She studied initially at the Putney Art School in London in 1883 and then the Slade School of Fine Art from 1892-1894 under Frederick Brown. on a visit to Spain in 1884 she was greatly impressed by Velázquez’s blend of realism and myth, and in Paris she identified particularly with the work of Manet and with the Impressionists. In 1898 she settled in Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, London, and established her studio there for the rest of her life. in 1900 she was elected the first woman member of the New English Art Club. Some of her best work is her portraits of women, such as Vanessa (1937; the Tate) which often showed her use of brilliant colour. she was elected ARA in 1940 and appointed DBE in 1943.