Malvina Cheek facts for kids

Malvina Cheek (born July 8, 1915 – died May 22, 2016) was a talented British artist. She is famous for her artwork during World War II. She worked on a special project called Recording Britain. Her job was to draw old buildings. This was done in case they were destroyed during the war. Malvina created 18 artworks for this project. Her art can still be seen in many books today.

Growing Up and Art School

Malvina Cheek was born in Hampton on Thames, England. She was the younger of two daughters. Her father, Percy Ebsworth Cheek, was a banker. After attending St Philomena’s school, Malvina studied art. She went to Wimbledon School of Art. Then she attended the famous Royal College of Art. A well-known artist named Robert Sargent Austin inspired her.

Malvina earned her art diploma in 1938. She started teaching art part-time. During World War II, she taught at the Central School of Art. The school moved to Luton for safety. In Luton, she also helped at a Blood Transfusion Unit. Later, she moved to St Albans. The art school there became very good. Malvina often traveled back to London. These train trips were difficult because of the wartime blackout.

Art During World War II

Malvina Cheek got many art jobs for the Recording Britain project. She drew buildings in several English counties. These included Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Cornwall. The Victoria and Albert Museum now owns 14 of her works. Malvina was very interested in a place called Mow Cop. This area was important for a religious movement.

Artists in the project showed their work at the National Gallery. This museum was empty of its own art during the war. These exhibitions made the artists well-known. A four-volume book set was also published. It helped artists gain fame in Britain and other countries. In 1943 and 1944, Malvina showed her art at the Royal Academy. A painting called Blood Donors was sold there. In 1944, the War Artists' Advisory Committee bought her painting. It was called Suburban Flying-bomb Damage.

In 1945, she sold a painting of American soldiers. It showed them outside a place called Rainbow Corner. Malvina also painted many portraits. One special painting was of her father. He was wearing his ARP (Air Raid Precautions) helmet. She said people were very tired at the end of the war. They were not eating well, and their confidence was low.

After the War

After the war, Malvina illustrated two more books. They were part of the Visions of England series. She drew pictures for The Black Country (1946). She also illustrated Derbyshire (1947). In 1944, Malvina started teaching at St Albans School of Art. It was a relaxed art college. In 1947, she got a permanent teaching job. She taught painting, which was usually a job for men. She later became a senior lecturer. This was at Twickenham College of Technology.

Malvina settled in Hampstead, London. She loved to sketch local London scenes. She was inspired by the Recording Britain project. Two great examples are her drawings of bombed buildings. One is Bombed Building, Weatherall House, Well Walk NW3 (1948). The other is Hampstead Heath Station and Magdala Pub (1949). These are now at the Hampstead Museum. Malvina shared a house with artist Olive Cook in the late 1940s.

In 1950, Malvina designed sets for a play. It was for a toy theatre. The play was called The Atom Secrets. A museum later published a greeting card. It showed one of her designs from the play. Malvina also drew pictures for magazines. In 1952, she wrote and illustrated an article. It was about ships' figureheads for Collins Magazine.

Malvina became a member of the Society of Industrial Artists in 1957. She had many famous students. These included David Gentleman and Ronald Maddox. She also showed her art in many group exhibitions. She exhibited with the Royal Society of British Artists and others.

Later Art Styles

Malvina's art in the 1960s and 1970s used bright, clear colors. She often used splashes of red. You can see this in her still lifes and portraits. She painted geraniums, hats, and Indian puppets. Trees were also very important in her art. She often painted the pear tree in her garden. Later in her career, she painted large canvases. These used darker, brownish colors.

In 2009, a book of her poems was published. It was called The Silent Fairground. An exhibition of her work was held in 2013. It took place at Burgh House.