Beatrice Huntington facts for kids
Beatrice Huntington (1889–1988) was a very talented Scottish artist, sculptor, and musician. She often showed her amazing artwork at important places like the Royal Academy in London, the Royal Scottish Academy, and the Royal Glasgow Institute. Beatrice was especially good at using colors, and she is best known for her beautiful portrait paintings.
Early Life and Learning About Art
Beatrice Huntington was born in St Andrews, Fife, in 1889. Her father, Dr. William Huntington, was a well-known surgeon in St Andrews. Her mother was Charlotte Huntington. As a child, Beatrice went to Kilrule School. Later, she studied at Madras College in St Andrews. She was very good at both music and drawing.
When she was 17, in 1906, Beatrice moved to Paris, France. She went there to study drawing and painting. She did very well in Paris. In 1911, she moved to Munich, Germany, to continue her art training. She studied at the Heinrich Knirr painting school. Her teacher, Heinrich Knirr, said she was a "quite wonderful artistic phenomenon." This means he thought she was an amazing artist!
In 1914, Beatrice moved to London. She began to show her art with the Society of Women Artists. In 1916, she showed a painting of her mother at the Grosvenor Gallery. This was with the International Society of Sculptors, Painters & Gravers.
After World War One
After World War One ended, in 1919, Beatrice showed a portrait painting called Mrs Mappin in Paris. She then came back to St Andrews. She became an active member of the Dundee Art Society. In 1920, she joined the Society of Scottish Artists. In 1923, a newspaper called The Times wrote about her painting, A Muleteer from Andalucia. This painting was shown in Edinburgh. The article said it was "Prominent among the figure work."
During this time, Beatrice also showed her art at the Allied Artists Association in London. She also exhibited with the Dundee Art Society.
In 1924, Beatrice was already a great musician. She spent a summer in Leipzig, Germany. There, she studied the cello with a famous cellist named Julius Klengel.
In Dundee, Beatrice met William Macdonald (1883-1960). He was also a painter. William was a good friend of other Scottish artists, like Samuel J. Peploe. William was known for his landscape paintings. He loved Spain so much that people called him ‘Spanish’ Macdonald.
Beatrice and William got married in 1925 in Edinburgh. They traveled a lot together in Europe. They spent time in Cassis, France, with Samuel Peploe. They also visited Southern Spain. They even spent time in Kirkcudbright with artists Jessie M. King and E.A. Taylor.
In 1928, they had an art show together in Dundee. It was called ‘Pictures of Spain’. This show happened after they spent a long time in Aragon, a town in Spain. In 1929, their son, Julius, was born. They moved to a flat in Edinburgh. They lived in Canada during World War II. But their flat in Edinburgh remained their home for the rest of their lives.
Busy Years: 1920s–1940s
Beatrice and her husband spent a lot of time in Spain, France, and Canada. These trips influenced her art. For example, her painting A Muleteer from Andalucia shows this influence. This painting, and others from the 1920s, show elements of a style called Cubism. This means they use geometric shapes and colors in a strong way.
From the 1930s to the 1940s, Beatrice often showed her art. She exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, and the Royal Scottish Academy. She was part of a committee at the Royal Scottish Academy. She left this committee before World War Two began. Her painting Nurse and Baby was made around 1915. It was shown at the Royal Scottish Academy in 1939. It was shown again in 1948 at the Royal Academy in London. This painting was even chosen for a tour of other art galleries.
Later Life
After World War Two ended, Beatrice started showing her art with the Scottish Society of Women Artists. She joined this group in 1951. She became quite successful as a portrait painter. However, her husband became very ill. Beatrice spent a lot of time taking care of him. Because of this, she could not paint as much during this period.
William Macdonald died in 1960. In the years after, Beatrice started a special art gathering place called a salon. Young people were invited to visit her there. She also started painting portraits again. Beatrice Huntington passed away peacefully in 1988. She was 99 years old.
