Elisabeth Vellacott

Background

Elisabeth Jessie Vellacott was born in Grays, Essex in 1905. Her father, Humphrey Vellacott, was a chartered accountant who later became a priest.

Education

Vellacott studied at the Royal College of Art, London, where she was taught by Walter Thomas Monnington before returning to Cambridge to work as a textile maker and set designer.

Career

In her later work she often painted on wooden board rather than canvas and she had her first solo exhibition at the age of 63 before working long into her 90s. She featured in an episode of The South Bank Show, a television arts magazine show in 1984. She was the sister of the classicist and translator Philip Vellacott.

Her first solo show was at the The Minories, Colchester in 1968 which was followed by exhibitions at New Arts Centre, London and a retrospective at Warwick Arts Trust.

She was influenced by Russian icon painting, Indian textiles, Persian miniatures, Chinese and Japanese ceramics. Her later work on panels were characterised by a thin white wash and pale pastel tones.

Work by Elisabeth Vellacott features in the following collections:

Arts Council Collection

Kettle"s Yard

The Fitzwilliam Museum

University of Liverpool

Derby Museum and Art Gallery

Glasgow Museums

National Museums Liverpool.

Connections

Friend:

Gwen Raverat