Ann Le Bas (1923-2020) – Winsford, Exmoor

Description

Ann Le Bas Biography

Rachel Ann Le Bas NEAC, RE (1923-2020) was a British painter and printmaker who lived and worked in Winsford, Exmoor.

Ann was born in Camberley, Surrey in 1923. In 1929, she moved to Exmoor with her father to the village of Winsford where she lived for the rest of her long life. Ann went to West Heath School in Kent and in 1945, after the war had ended, Ann’s talent was recognised – studying at the City & Guilds of London Art School under A. R. Middleton Todd RA RWS RE NEAC, Rodney Burn RA NEAC and Henry Wilkinson RE ARCA who taught her engraving.

Ann had a technical skill and understanding of engraving, etching and aquatint that is rare. She made prints that reflect on observation of her surroundings, whether it be of a stand of beech trees, a dilapidated barn, an alpine pass, a Venetian sunrise, a saw mill, ducks, cows, sheep . . . all beautifully convincing in the bringing together of knowledge, technique and sympathy for the subject. In her paintings, Ann used watercolour and oils, specialising in landscapes of Exmoor, still life and interiors, as well as studies made abroad. She never had any desire to make a statement about her work, believing it should speak for itself.

In 1960, Ann was elected to the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers, now known as the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers (RE). In 1972, she was elected to the New English Art Club. In 1969, she was elected to the Art Workers Guild and from 1995-1999 was Master of the Somerset Guild of Craftsmen.

Her work has been exhibited widely, including at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and New English Art Club Annual Exhibition. She undertook various commissions including the National Trust Foundation for Art, the Bishop of Bath & Wells. She has prints in the Ashmolean permanent collection and is also represented in the Fitzwilliam Museum, as well as in numerous private collections.

For over 25 years, Ann held an Open Studio with Somerset Art Week where visitors could see her work and, whilst enjoying it, ask questions about how a print is made, the tools used and the stages gone through along the creative path. Ann also played a vital role in her local community in supporting projects and people in need of help and advice.

Le Bas is perhaps best known for her landscape scenes, mostly of rural England – the West Country in particular – but also urban scenes of Paris and Pont Aven, France. Examples of Le Bas’ work are held by The Government Art Collection, Exeter Museum and the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, among others.

Available works by Modern British artists.

Rembering Ann Le Bas at the New English Art Club.