Anne Davidson facts for kids
Anne Ross Davidson, DA (born 3 February 1937 in Glasgow – died 20 December 2008 in Aberdeen) was a Scottish sculptor and artist. Many of her artworks were made for public places and can be seen in Scotland and other countries.
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Early Life and Training
Anne Ross grew up and went to school in Aberdeen. She then studied sculpture at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen from 1955 to 1959. She was the best student in her class and earned a special degree in sculpture.
After her studies, she trained to be an art teacher. From 1960 to 1968, she was the main art teacher at Gray's School of Art, the same school she had attended. Later, she decided to become a full-time sculptor. She returned to Gray's to teach sculpture there again from 1978 to 1982.
The African Woman and Child Sculpture
One of Anne Ross Davidson's most famous sculptures is called African Woman and Child. The city council of Edinburgh asked her to create it. This sculpture was made to show support against Apartheid, which was a system of unfair racial separation in South Africa.
The sculpture shows a Black woman standing with a young child. Behind them, you can see hints of a shantytown, which is a poor settlement. The artwork was officially revealed on 22 July 1986. A member of the African National Congress (ANC), Suganya Chetty, who was living in Edinburgh at the time, unveiled it.
Art for Public Places
Anne Ross Davidson created many sculptures for public spaces.
- Her sculpture of Robert the Bruce was made for Aberdeen City Council. It is now on display in Aberdeen Town House. This sculpture shows the brave Scottish king from the 14th century wearing his armor and holding his shield and sword. Davidson used special materials to make her models look very detailed and realistic.
- Other public artworks include a figure of a Gordon Highlander officer. This was for a special award called the Alick Buchanan-Smith Award.
- She also made a statue of Mary, Queen of Scots.
- She created a series of sculptures showing ballet dancers.
Many different groups and people asked Anne Ross Davidson to create gifts and awards for them. These included companies from the oil industry, the Royal Mail, and the Glenfiddich Distillery.
Art for Churches
Anne Ross Davidson also created many important religious artworks.
- In 1993, Mario Conti, who was the Bishop of Aberdeen, asked Davidson to make a small figure of Saint Margaret of Scotland. This was to celebrate 900 years since the saint lived. Saint Margaret had married King Malcolm III in the 11th century. The sculpture shows Margaret holding an open book and gently leading a small girl by the hand.
- In 2003, Tony Blair, who was the UK Prime Minister at the time, met Pope John Paul II. Tony Blair gave the Pope one of the 500 statues of St Margaret that Anne Davidson had designed.
- Other important religious artworks she created include:
- Relief sculptures (carvings that stick out from a flat surface) in St Mary's R.C. Cathedral in Aberdeen.
- Outside reliefs for the Church of St Paschal Baylon in Liverpool.
- Statues of the Madonna and Child and St Columba in the St Columba Church complex in Aberdeen.
- Her last large artwork was for St Paul the Apostle Church in Glasgow, which she finished in July 2008.
Later Years and Family
From 1985 to 1998, Anne and her husband ran a popular sculpture workshop for people who were blind. The Aberdeen City Council helped fund this workshop. She also taught art to children in schools across Aberdeenshire. She was still teaching at three primary schools until she became ill in September 2008. She passed away three months later at the age of 71.
Anne Davidson was survived by her husband, Jimmy Davidson. He was also a well-known Scottish sculptor and calligrapher. They had four children and four grandchildren.
Groups She Belonged To
Anne Ross Davidson was a member of several art societies:
- The Royal British Society of Women Sculptors
- The International Society of Christian Artists
- The Society of Catholic Artists
