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Adshead, Mary [1904-1995. UK. Mural Painter/Illustrator]

 

Mary Adshead was born in the Bloomsbury, London, England on 15 February 1904. She studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London (1922-25) where she was selected by one of her tutors, Henry Tonks, to paint a mural with fellow student Rex Whistler. This resulted in several further commissions including murals for London’s Bank underground station. A report on this project appeared in 'Commercial Art' vol.1, no.1, July 1926 (p.46). She was a member of the Society of Mural Painters. A mural decoration in a dining room at 21, Bedford Street, Liverpool, home of Professor C.H. Reilly, painted by her, is illustrated in 'Decorative Art' 1927 (p.53). A set of hand-painted tiles designed by her and executed by Carter & Co. for Muirhead Bone are illustrated in 'Decorative Art' 1933 (p.74). During the 1930s Adshead designed posters for London Underground. In 1932 Adshead painted 11 ft. x 30 ft. reredos for St. Christopher's church in Witherington, Manchester. She also painted wall panels for the restaurant in the British Pavilion at the 1937 Paris International Exhibition. Post Second World war projects included the design of postage stamps for the Post Office in 1951 and 1953, and the decoration of the Jungle Restaurant in Selfridges’ in London in 1950. An interest in mosaic art led her in 1962 to study in Italy and take a course in Italian technique at Kingston School of Art. Adshead died in London on 3 September 1995.

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Profile of Mary Adshead courtesy of Liss Llewellyn Fine Art:

English mural painter and designer trained at The Slade where she won joint first prize with Rex Whistler in 1924. They both went on to work on their own murals at the Highways boys club in Shadwell. Many important mural commissions followed throughout her long life. She also designed UK postage stamps, illustrated books and exhibited easel pictures in at The New English Art Club and Royal Academy. Her paintings are in many public gallery collections including The Tate , The Graves Art gallery Sheffield, The Imperial War Museum, Manchester City Art Gallery The London Transport Museum and The University Art gallery Liverpool. There are also several surviving mural paintings. An exhibition of her work was held at The University of Liverpool Art Gallery 21 January till 29 April 2005, Graves Art Gallery Sheffield 25 Jun-17 Sept 2005 and Kingston-upon-Thames Art Gallery 1 Oct - 19 Nov 2005. An illustrated catalogue is available from The University of Liverpool Art Gallery. 6 Abercromby Sq. Liverpool L69 7WY.

Self-portrait, 1931, by Mary Adshead

Self-portrait, 1931, by Mary Adshead

Bibliography

1. Art for All: British Posters for Transport. Edited by Teri J. Eldelstein. New Haven and London: Yale Center for British Art in Association with Yale University Press, 2010

 2. Earthly Delights: Mary Adshead 1904-1995. Edited by Matthew H. Clough and Ann Compton. Liverpool, England: University of Liverpool Art Gallery, 2004

 3. Gray, Sara. The dictionary of British women artists. Cambridge, England: The Lutterworth Press, 2009
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