Arthur Gaskin facts for kids
Arthur Joseph Gaskin RBSA (16 March 1862 – 4 June 1928) was a talented English artist. He was an illustrator, a painter, a teacher, and a designer of beautiful jewellery and enamelwork.
Arthur Gaskin and his wife, Georgie Gaskin, were part of a group called the Birmingham Group of Artist-Craftsmen. This group wanted to use the ideas of the Arts and Crafts movement in many different types of art and design. Like many in the group, Gaskin studied at the Birmingham School of Art and later taught there.
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Life and Art Journey
Arthur Gaskin was born in Birmingham, England, in 1862. His father was a decorator. Arthur grew up in Wolverhampton and went to Wolverhampton Grammar School. In 1879, he moved back to Birmingham.
Studying and Teaching Art
In 1883, Gaskin started studying at the Birmingham School of Art. Just two years later, he became a teacher there, even before finishing his own course! This is where he met Georgie Gaskin in 1888. She was one of his students. They got married in 1894.
Becoming a Decorative Artist
From 1890, Gaskin worked as a decorative artist. He made woodcut illustrations for William Morris's famous Kelmscott Press. He also painted using a technique called tempera. He learned this from his friend Joseph Southall.
Jewellery and Leadership
The Gaskins started making jewellery in 1899. They called their work "Mr & Mrs Arthur Gaskin." In 1903, Arthur became the headmaster of the Vittoria Street School for Jewellers and Silversmiths. He stayed in this important role until 1924.
Retirement and Art Exhibitions
In 1924, Arthur and Georgie retired to Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire. This town was home to the Guild and School of Handicraft. This was a community of artists and craftspeople started by the arts and crafts architect Charles Robert Ashbee.
As a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA), Gaskin helped organize a special art show in 1917. It was called "The New Movement in Art." This show was a new version of an earlier exhibition by Roger Fry in 1910, which featured Post-Impressionist art.
