Vanessa Bell

Vanessa Bell was the eldest of four children and sister to Virginia Woolf. Born in London in 1879, she studied painting at the Royal Academy Schools in 1901.

Following the death of her parents, Bell and her siblings moved to her parents’ family home in Bloomsbury. It was here that they interacted with artists, writers and intellectuals. The Bloomsbury Group was formed shortly after, with Bell becoming a key member of the group.

In 1906 she founded the exhibiting group, the Friday Club, creating a space for aspiring painters to discuss art. Bell was inspired by the post-impressionist exhibitions of the time, employing their use of bright colour and bold forms in her own works. She went on to explore Abstraction in her later practice.

Her paintings were widely praised for their intricacies, innovative style and technique, and she exhibited internationally in exhibitions held in Paris, Zurich and Venice. In 2017, a major retrospective of her works were held at Dulwich Picture Gallery. Her works are also held in numerous public collections.