Dorothy King (artist) facts for kids

Dorothy King (1907-1990) was a talented British artist, museum curator, and teacher. She was especially known for her beautiful portrait paintings and pictures of people.

Who Was Dorothy King?

Dorothy King was born in London, England, in 1907. She loved art from a young age and decided to study it. She went to two famous art schools: the Hornsey School of Art and the Slade School of Art. At Slade, she learned from a well-known artist named Randolph Schwabe.

Life During World War II

During World War II, Dorothy King helped people in a special way. She worked as a Welfare Officer. This meant she helped look after people's well-being. She also supervised a "rest centre" in the East End of London. These centres were safe places where people could go to rest and get help, especially after air raids.

Her Career in Art

After the war, Dorothy King continued her art career. In 1947, she became a member of the Royal Society of British Artists, often called the RBA. This is a group of skilled artists in Britain.

Later, Dorothy King took on important roles in art galleries:

• From 1959, she was a temporary "keeper" at the RBA Galleries in central London. A "keeper" is someone who looks after the art collection and the gallery itself.
• In 1961, she became the official keeper of the South London Art Gallery. Today, this gallery is known as the South London Gallery in Camberwell.

Besides working in galleries, Dorothy King also loved teaching. She taught art classes part-time at the Southwark Arts Centre.

Retirement and Exhibitions

Dorothy King retired from the South London Art Gallery in 1974. She wanted to spend more time on her own painting. However, she still taught art classes at Southwark for a while.

Throughout her life, Dorothy King's artwork was shown in many important places:

• The Royal Academy in London, which is a very famous art institution.
• The New English Art Club.
• The Society of Women Artists.
• The Glasgow Institute of Fine Art in Scotland.

To celebrate her retirement, the South London Art Gallery held a special "retrospective exhibition" in 1974. A retrospective show looks back at an artist's work from different periods of their life. After she passed away in 1990, the Mall Galleries held a "memorial show" in 1992 to remember her and her art.