Nancy Carline facts for kids

Nancy Mona Carline (born Higgins, 30 November 1909 – 18 October 2004) was a British artist. She painted many different things. These included landscapes with people, portraits, and scenes from the Bible or history. She also painted groups of people in their homes.

Nancy studied art at the Slade School of Art. She also worked at the Sadlers Wells Ballet. Later, she took a course in stage design at the Slade. This course was taught by Vladimir Polunin. In 1950, she married the artist Richard Carline. This meant she became part of a famous art family in Hampstead.

Nancy's Early Life and Art Training

Nancy Carline was born in London. Her father was British, and her mother was Australian. Her father, Douglas Higgins, helped start a store called Jones & Higgins.

Sadly, her father died during World War I. Nancy and her three brothers and sisters were raised by their mother, Mona. Their home was full of art and old items her father had collected.

After going to Wycombe Abbey School, Nancy joined the Slade School of Art in 1928. There, she learned from famous teachers. These included Henry Tonks, Philip Wilson Steer, and Allan Gwynne-Jones. Allan became a very close friend for her whole life.

Working in Theatre and Meeting Richard

From 1933, Nancy worked for free at the Sadlers Wells Ballet. She helped in the costume department. Other artists there, like Vladimir and Elizabeth Polunin, designed sets for operas and ballets.

Vladimir Polunin told her to take his stage design course at the Slade. So, Nancy went back to art school. In 1934, she met Richard Carline there. They later married in 1950.

Richard Carline was the youngest of five children. His parents were artist George Francis Carline and Anne Smith. Richard's brother, Sydney Carline, and sister, Hilda Carline, were also artists. His brother-in-law, Stanley Spencer, was also a well-known artist.

Many other artists often visited the Carline family home in Hampstead. These included Henry Lamb, Paul Nash, John Nash, Gilbert Spencer, and Mark Gertler. Nancy Carline's painting from 1946, Supper on the Terrace, shows the Carline family of artists at their home.

Art During Wartime and Beyond

In the late 1930s, Nancy and Richard Carline helped people who had to leave Nazi Germany. They helped these refugees settle in London. During World War II, Nancy taught art at a school in Purley. She also kept painting.

She showed her art at the New English Art Club. This club was started to be different from the Royal Academy. But Nancy also showed her work at the Royal Academy's summer shows. Some of her paintings from the war include Soho in War-time. She also painted VE Night, which showed the celebrations when the war ended in Europe.

Nancy believed that art education was very important. She and Richard worked as art examiners for the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate. This was from 1955 to 1974. For this job, they traveled a lot in Asia and Africa. They also painted in Mexico and Venice. They even wrote a book together called Paint they Must, about art education.

Exhibitions and Later Life

Nancy Carline showed her art often. She exhibited with the Royal Academy, the London Group, and the New English Art Club. She also showed her work at the Artists' International Association and the Wildenstein Gallery.

Her art was part of several Carline family exhibitions. These included The Carline Family in 1977 and The Spencers and the Carlines in 1980. A special show of her life's work was held at the Camden Arts Centre. In 1989, she became an Honorary Life-Member of the New English Art Club.

After Richard died in 1980, Nancy moved from Hampstead to Oxford. This was to be closer to her son, Francis, in Wallingford. She kept painting, including seascapes. She painted these on the Isle of Portland during summer holidays with Francis and his family. Nancy Carline passed away in a nursing home in Wallingford in 2004.