Mixed Summer Flowers ~ Dorothea Sharp

Artist Biography

Dorothea Sharp was born in Dartford, Kent, and trained at Regent Street Polytechnic under George Clausen and David Murray, and later in Paris where she discovered the work of Monet who greatly influenced her handling of subjects and colour in impressionist fashion.

Dorothea Sharp first visited St Ives in 1920 and took one of the Porthmeor Studios which she retained over many years, despite also having a permanent home in London all of her life. In St Ives she also met her lifelong friend Marcella Smith. In 1928, when the St Ives Society of Artists (STISA) was re-organising its efforts and inviting distinguished artists to become honorary members, Dorothea Sharp was one of those invited.

During WWII she moved to St Ives and she and her friend, Marcella Smith became prominent members of STISA. Titles include Paddling at St Ives (c1930), Sand Castles, A Sunlit Garden, The Warren, St Ives (c1930) and Flowers in a Window. Her paintings are held in many permanent collections. The journal ‘The Artist’ considered her to be one of the greatest women painters of her time.

Gallery note on provenance & authorship:

This lovely painting belonged to a private family collection since purchased in St Ives in the late 1940’s. Consigned to a provincial auction several years ago in the original blue painted frame, under glass and unvarnished. Purchased by our gallery, cleaned, varnished and presented in a new gilt frame.

We have thoroughly researched the painting during the time it has been in our private collection, and consulted with several art professionals familiar with the artist’s work. They agreed that the panel has the age of late 40’s, the brush strokes very confident, and felt absolutely right to be an unsigned work by Dorothea Sharp.

The artist was known to have sold several works in the post office at St. Ives in the 1940’s, some unsigned, and we believe our painting was one of those. In the absence of a signature, we are selling this still life painting as attributed to Dorothea Sharp, and our attractive gallery price reflects this.