About this lot

Description

§ Kate Chapman (British 1912-2000)
Still life of a melon in a bowl signed 'katie Chapman' (lower right) oil on board, mounted on board, unframed 36 x 27cm

Footnote: Dark, industrial valleys and lines of terraced houses stretching into the distance, George Chapman’s paintings are unmistakable. The work of his wife, Kate, however, is largely unknown and has been sadly neglected. It was in 1946, whilst studying at the Norwich School of Art, that Kate Chapman (née Ablett) met her future husband. After marrying in 1947, Kate dedicated herself to her husband’s burgeoning career and her rapidly growing family. Although she had abandoned any aspirations of pursuing a career as an artist, she continued to paint, often using George’s discarded canvases, with her favoured subjects including rural landscapes, portraits of the couple’s three children and scenes of domestic life. The antithesis of her husband’s characteristically brooding style, Kate Chapman’s work is defined through her use of bold, joyful colours and her naïve treatment of scale and perspective. As more works surface, Kate will no doubt emerge as Kate Chapman the artist, rather than Kate Chapman the wife.

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