Laurence Scarfe, (1914-1993) teacher, painter, muralist and illustrator, was born in Windhill, Shipley. His father, Herbert worked as an overlooker in a local mill. His mother, Alice, died in 1916 when he was still a young child, and his father later remarried in 1919. His step-mother, Frances, gave…
1881-1953. Albert Rutherston, painter, stage and costume designer, book illustrator and poster designer, was born in Bradford, the younger brother of Sir William Rothenstein. He was educated at Bradford Grammar School then studied art at the Slade School, 1898-1902 under the tutelage of Henry Tonks and Fred Brown. He won the…
June Russell, is a Bradford printmaker, working mostly in etching and drypoint. Her subject range is broad, including urban, rural, and domestic scenes. She says of her work: My work is based on observation and drawing and is always about locations – real, imagined or a mixture of the two. I…
Herbert Royle (1870-1958) landscape painter, was born in Patricroft, near Manchester, but lived from 1924 onwards at the Manor House in the hamlet of Nesfield, near Ilkley, where he also had a studio, an old army hut, on the hillside above his home. Although ‘Manor House’ suggests a grand…
Sir William Rothenstein Sir William Rothenstein (1872-1945) became an eminent painter of portraits and landscapes in oils. Although he left the Bradford at 16 and never lived there again, he frequently returned to see his family and in 1932 wrote an article, Bradford Revisited, in which he reflected on the important cultural…
The sculptor, Frank Roper (1914 – 2000) was born in Haworth. He inherited his natural gift for stone carving from his father, George, and grandfather William, who were both in business as monumental masons at Oakworth. Frank Roper won a scholarship at Haworth Council School and became a pupil…
Ernest Higgins Rigg (1868-1947) and Arthur Herbert Rigg (1859 -1915) Ernest Higgins Rigg, born 1868 in Bradford, was one of six children to Matthew and Mary Rigg. He became a successful artist, as did his brother, Arthur. His landscape paintings were characterised by their strong colours. Ernest went to Bradford grammar School…
Ebenezer John Woods (Jack) Prior (1914-1988) was a Bradford born and largely self-taught landscape painter. He was better known by the name ‘Jack’ – a name he adopted whilst at Bradford Grammar School for fear of being ridiculed. Jack worked in the family wool stapling business until it closed in 1971. The family…
The Priestman family were influential and significant members of the Bradford artistic community. Bertram (1868-1951) Arnold (1854-1925) and Gertrude (1870-1954) Bertram Priestman: the most influential and artistically eminent of the Priestman artists, was born into a Quaker family. He was the son of Edward and…
Joseph (Joe) Pighills (1901 – 1984), painter, was born 6th December 1901 at Marsh, Oxenhope, near Keighley, to parents, John, a wool-sorter, and mother, Sarah Ann. Joseph was the second eldest to four children in the family. Joseph, or Joe, as he was better known, left school at 14…
