ROGER Fry, painter and member of the Bloomsbury Group, is celebrated in a new exhibition at the Museum of Somerset,Taunton, from Saturday 28th March to 4th July.
A Life in Art: Roger Fry is a major new exhibition exploring the life, work and influence of one of the most important figures in 20th century British art. The exhibition comes to the museum from Charleston in Sussex, the home of Vanessa Bell, Virginia Woolf;’s artist sister, and members of the Bloomsbury Group.
Roger Fry (1866–1934) was a curator, critic, painter and designer, who transformed British art. He was a member of the Bloomsbury Group, the influential circle of artists, writers and thinkers that included Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant.
Fry’s ideas helped to reshape artistic thinking in Britain and beyond. He is perhaps best known for introducing post‑impressionist art to England. His groundbreaking exhibitions of 1910 and 1912 shocked, surprised and inspired the public and changed the direction of British art forever.
The exhibition brings together more than 40 vibrant artworks, rare loans and never‑before‑seen pieces from private collections. It includes works by Helen Coombe (1864–1937), Fry’s wife and an accomplished artist whose work is seldom seen. It also explores Fry’s West Country connections. He was a descendant of the prominent Bristol chocolatiers, JS Fry & Son, and the family had a home at Failand in North Somerset.
South West Heritage Trust exhibitions manager Mel Coussens says: “This exhibition is further expression of our mission to bring great art to Somerset, this time working with Charleston, a place that attracted some of the 20th century’s most radical artists. Thanks to further collaboration with The Court Gallery we are delighted to be able to display work by Helen Coombe, an accomplished artist in her own right.”
During the exhibition, the museum will host a series of related events, including an evening talk, gallery tour and creative workshops for adults and children. As well as a curator’s talk and gallery tour with Tim Martin, the events are:
• Saturday 16th May – Adult painting workshop in the Bloomsbury style with artist Janet Glynn Smith from GoCreate (booking required);
• Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th May – Family drop-in activities using fabric paints and pens to decorate a cushion or photo frame
• Thursday 28th and Friday 29th May – Family printing and collage art workshops with GoCreate (booking required)
• Thursday 4th June – In Conversation event with Fiona McKenzie Johnston author of Roger Fry: Bloomsbury and the Invention of Modern Art and exhibition curator Tim Martin (booking required)
Pictured: Portrait of Nina Hamnett, 1917, oil on canvas, the Courtauld © The Courtauld; Studland Bay, 1911, oil on canvas, © Touchstones Rochdale, Rochdale Arts Heritage Service; archive portrait of Roger Fry, c 1913-1919, photograph by AC Cooper and Co, King St, London, archive centre, King’s College, Cambridge.