Dora Clarke facts for kids

Dora Thacher Clarke (born 1895, died 1989) was a talented British artist. She was known for her amazing sculptures and wood carvings. Dora also loved and shared her knowledge about African art. Later in her life, she was known as Dora Middleton.

Dora Clarke's Life and Art

Early Life and Training

Dora Clarke was born in Harrow, England. Her father, Joseph Thacher Clarke, was an American architect. From a young age, Dora showed great artistic talent.

She won a special scholarship to attend the Slade School of Fine Art. This is a famous art school in London. When she was fifteen, Dora studied art part-time in 1910 and 1911. Later, from 1915 to 1916, she became a full-time student, focusing on sculpture.

Exhibitions and Famous Works

Dora Clarke first showed her art at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1923. She continued to exhibit there until 1959. She also displayed her work at the Goupil Gallery in the 1930s.

In 1937, Dora had her very first solo art show at the French Gallery. Her sculptures were also shown at the famous Paris Salon and with the Royal Society of British Artists.

Types of Art Dora Made

Dora Clarke created many different kinds of art. She made sculptures from bronze and wood. She also created memorials, which are artworks that honor someone. Many of her sculptures were of African heads.

One important work was a sculpture of Sir Walter Morley Fletcher. She also made a special panel and medallion to honor the writer Joseph Conrad. This memorial was unveiled in 1927 in Bishopsbourne in Kent.

Exploring African Art

Dora Clarke was very interested in African art. She wrote about it and helped people learn more about it. From 1927 to 1928, she spent a year in Kenya, a country in Africa.

While in Kenya, she drew many pictures. When she returned to London, she used these drawings to create wood carvings and bronze sculptures of tribal figures. Wood carving became her favorite way to create art. She often used strong, hard woods and even sperm whale teeth.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1938, Dora Clarke married Admiral Gervase B Middleton. After she married, she rarely showed her art using her married name. During World War II, Dora was asked to create a special portrait medallion.

This medallion was for a serviceman who had received the George Cross award for bravery. This was the only portrait medallion bought by the War Artists' Advisory Committee during the war.

Today, you can find Dora Clarke's sculptures in different museums. The Ashmolean Museum has some of her work. This museum also has a portrait of Dora Clarke painted in 1936 by another artist, Orovida Camille Pissarro.