Phyllis Archibald facts for kids

Phyllis Muriel Cowan Archibald (born in 1880, died in 1947) was a talented British sculptor. She later became known as Phyllis Archibald Clay. Phyllis was an Associate member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors starting in 1923. She was also a member of the Glasgow Society of Lady Artists.

About Phyllis Archibald

Phyllis Archibald was born in Tunbridge Wells, England. Her father, Edmund Douglas Archibald, was a meteorologist. A meteorologist studies weather and the atmosphere. By 1891, her family had moved to Scotland, where her mother was from.

Phyllis went to the Park School in Glasgow. After that, she studied at the Glasgow School of Art from 1903 to 1906. She then spent several years in Paris, France, learning more about sculpture.

Before World War I began, Phyllis moved to London. There, she became known for sculpting animals and people. She worked with different materials like wood, stone, and various metals. In 1911, Phyllis married Charles Clay, a journalist. They lived in Hampstead in London, then in Bletchingley in Surrey. After her husband passed away in 1941, she moved to Grasmere. Phyllis died there in 1947.

Art Shows and Special Projects

Phyllis Archibald showed her artwork very often. She exhibited her sculptures at many important places. These included the Royal Scottish Academy and the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts. She also showed her art with the Glasgow Society of Lady Artists.

Outside of Scotland, Phyllis displayed her works in London. She exhibited at the Royal Academy and with the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers. Her art was also shown at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. She even had works at the famous Paris Salon in France.

Between 1927 and 1937, Phyllis had twelve sculptures in shows by the Society of Women Artists. She also created some special pieces for buildings. In 1906 and 1907, she made four stone sculptures. These were of female figures for the outside of the Royal Bank of Scotland building in Glasgow. In another part of Glasgow, she sculpted a figure called Science & Industry. This piece was for the entrance of a warehouse.

Phyllis also made art for churches and charities. For example, she created figures for the choir stalls of the Congregational Church in Whitchurch in 1910. One of her sculptures was even shown at the 1924 British Empire Exhibition in London.

Selected Works