Lucy Faulkner Orrinsmith facts for kids

Lucy Jane Faulkner Orrinsmith was a talented artist from England. She lived during the time of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Lucy was known for painting tiles, making engravings, and doing embroidery. Her most famous works are hand-painted tiles showing scenes from popular fairytales. These include Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, and Cinderella.

Lucy's Early Life

Lucy Jane Faulkner was born on November 16, 1839. Her parents were Benjamin and Ann Faulkner. She was born in Birmingham, England. Lucy had two siblings who grew up with her: Charles Joseph Faulkner and Kate Faulkner.

The family lived in Birmingham for some time. After her father passed away, they moved to Bloomsbury. We don't know why her father died.

Family Connections to Art

Lucy's brother, Charles, became good friends with William Morris. They met when they were students at Oxford University. Through Charles, William Morris also got to know Lucy and Kate.

Lucy's husband, Harvey, in 1863

Later, Lucy married an engraver named Harvey Edward Orrinsmith. His father was John Orrin Smith. When she married Harvey, Lucy changed her last name. This happened in the middle of her art career.

Her Artistic Career

Lucy's brother Charles and their friend William Morris started a company. It was called Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co.. This company specialized in decorating homes and making furniture.

At first, Charles hired Lucy and Kate to help out. They were not paid as full artists. But as they worked, their skills grew a lot. Soon, they were seen as real artists. They started getting paid for their work. Lucy even became one of the first managers for the company.

Tile Painting

Lucy's sister Kate worked on many types of home decorating. These included embroidery, painting tiles, engraving, and wallpaper design. But Lucy focused mostly on painting tiles by hand. This is what she became most famous for.

Lucy Faulkner Orrinsmith was known for her tile paintings of women. Many of these women were from fairytales and old legends. Some of her tiles showed women from Legende of Goode Wimmen. These were stories about women from classical antiquity.

She also painted tiles for stories like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast. These tiles were often made in a series. They were meant to be hung together over a fireplace. Her Sleeping Beauty tile series is the most popular.

Changes After Marriage

After Lucy married Harvey Edward Orrinsmith, she stopped painting tiles for Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. She also changed her last name to Orrinsmith. Because of this, her work was sometimes mistakenly thought to be her sister Kate's.

However, it was later found that Lucy signed her tiles. She would use "LJF" or just "LF". This helped people know which tiles were hers.

Writing a Book

Orrinsmith also wrote a book about decorating drawing rooms. It was called The Drawing Room: Its Decorations and Furniture. She wrote it while living in Beckenham. She published it simply as "Mrs. Orrinsmith".

In her book, she explained how to decorate a drawing room "properly". She talked about ceilings, walls, fireplaces, and more. She also suggested using popular colors of the time. She even discussed some color theory. Lucy drew pictures to show how to arrange things in a room. She wanted everything to look nice for guests.

Her book received some negative reviews. Some people thought she was too strict. Others felt her drawings were not very good. They thought the drawings did not show the skill she talked about in the book.

Death and Legacy

Lucy Jane Faulkner Orrinsmith passed away in 1910. The reason for her death is not known.

Most of her artwork is kept at the William Morris Gallery in London. This gallery has the largest collection of her hand-painted tiles. They are on display for everyone to see.

List of Works

• Alceste tile, hand-painted tile, (around 1862), William Morris Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest.
• Sleeping Beauty, hand-painted tile panel, (around 1864-1865), Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
• Beauty and the Beast, hand-painted tile panel, (around 1863-64), William Morris Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest.
• Plate, hand-painted ceramic plate, William Morris Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest.