EDNA CLARKE HALL (1879-1979) 'Wuthering Heights and Upminster Common', Thursday 28th February - Monday 17th March 2008.
Watercolours and drawings inspired by Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights' and the artist's family life at her 17th century Essex farmhouse.
Provenance: with the exception of numbers 54-67, all works come from the artist's younger son, Denis Clarke Hall or his estate.
To view our exhibition of 'Cornish Summers at Gillan Creek 1915-1925' held in November 2006, click here.
Nothing can be reserved or sold before 6pm Thursday 28th February.
We can however act for you after people who are here at 6pm have made their purchases. Please do contact us if you would like an explanation of the buying proceedure for the opening day of the exhibition.
Some of the images appear pixelated at this small size. You are advised to click through to the largest available size to get a proper idea of the work or e mail us and we will e mail you the large size image.
We intend the works to be hanging at the gallery from Monday 25th February so please do come and view them before they go on sale.
1893-1898 : Enrolled at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College, London, where she won numerous prizes for drawing and composition. Despite taking lessons in oil painting from Gwen John, her friend and contemporary, she soon realised oil was not the right medium for her, 'I wanted to draw a subject quickly, seize it, convey my impression', hence watercolour became her chosen medium.
1898 : Married the barrister William Clarke Hall, who despite encouraging her through her student years was unable to understand and accept the way in which she wished to work. Her painting therefore became increasingly personal and private.
1899 : Work first accepted at the New English Art Club.
1902 : The Clarke Halls bought Great House, a 16th century farmhouse at Upminster where she was to live in until the 1970s. Inspired by the house, by her reading and her mood she began a long running series of ink drawings illustrative of Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights' (Tate Gallery and Manchester City Art Gallery).
1905 : Justin born. Motherhood and her duties as the wife of a brilliant barrister – Clarke Hall was known particularly for the pioneering of reforms of Child Law for which he was knighted – stimulated her need to and talent for 'catching the moment'.
1910 : Denis (d.2006) born.
Exhibited 'Suggestions for Illustrations for Wuthering Heights' at the Friday Club.
1915 : Following many years of summer holidays in Cornwall bought a cottage at Gillan Creek, south of the Helford Estuary where they summered until 1927.
1919 : Experienced a breakdown from which she was helped to recover by Tonks who encouraged her husband to pay more recognition to her as an artist. Willie then provided her with a Studio of her own in London.
1924 : The first of several exhibitions over 20 years at the Redfern Gallery.
1926 : Her 'Poem Pictures' published.
1927 : A winter spent in the Egyptian desert following an attack of arthritis in her hands resulted in a new body of work.
1931 : Sir William Clarke Hall dies. A Trust formed by friends enabled her to keep her Studio at Gray's Inn.
1939 : Retrospective Exhibition at Manchester City Art Gallery.
1941 : Destruction of her London Studio and much of her work during the Blitz.
1949 : Following increased suffering from arthritis in her hands Edna Clarke Hall ceases to paint.
1985 : 'Edna Clarke Hall': Exhibition at Sheffield City Art Gallery.
Public Collections:
British Museum. Victoria and Albert Museum. Manchester City Art Gallery.
Ashmolean Museum, Fitzwilliam Museum, National Museum of Wales.
|  2. ‘Self ‘. Black chalk. 9x7 inches. Signed and inscribed. Circa 1899. Not For Sale |  3. Atalanta. Pen, brush and blue ink study for her Slade Competition painting. 13x15 inches. Signed and dated 1899. Possibly exhibited N.E.A.C. 1901 or 1902. Not For Sale |
 4. A couple (?Edna and Willie Clarke Hall) in the drawing room of Red Cottage,Thames Ditton. Pen, brush and sepia ink. 11x9 inches. Circa 1899. Framed. £475 |  5. The artist standing at the open hearth at Great Tompkyns, Upminster Common. Pen, brush and sepia ink. 11x9 inches. Circa 1901. Framed. £775 |  6.Child and Dog. Pen, brush and blue/grey ink. 10x11 inches. Circa 1902. Unframed. £675 |
 7. Children in a nursery. Pen, brush and blue/grey ink. 12x17 inches. Circa 1902. Unframed. £675 | 
8. ‘Let me alone’ sobbed Catherine ‘if I have done wrong I am dying for it’. |  9. ‘Slight study for Wuthering Heights’. Pen, brush and sepia ink.6x8 inches. Inscribed on attached note. Circa 1920. Framed. £475 |
 10. ‘Gray’s Inn / a WH drawing leaning/ against the wall with/ a basket in the foreground’. Pen, brush and sepia ink. 5x7 inches. Inscribed on attached note. Circa 1925. Framed. £475 |  11. Study for ‘Wuthering Heights’ II. Pen, brush and blue/grey ink. 7x5 inches. Dated, 1902. Unframed. £375 |  12. Study for ‘Wuthering Heights’III. Pen, brush and ink. 5x4 inches. Circa 1902. Verso: Standing Nude, ink and watercolour. Unframed. £275 |
 13. ‘I have to scold them every evening for their late rambles’: Cathy and Heathcliff on the Moors. Pen, brush and blue/grey ink. 7x6 inches. Circa 1902. Framed. £475 |  14. ‘Catherine and he were constant companions’: Cathy and Heathcliff on the Moors. Pen, brush and blue ink. 7x9 inches. Circa 1902. Framed. £475 |  15. Study for ‘Wuthering Heights’IV. Pen, brush and ink. 17x20 inches. Circa 1925. Framed. £675 |
 16. Study for ‘Wuthering Heights’ V. Pen, brush and ink. 16x23 inches. Circa 1925 Verso: Study of Cathy and Heathcliff. Pen, brush and ink. Framed. £675 | 
|  18. Study for ‘Wuthering Heights’ VI. Pen, brush and inks. 15x22 inches. Circa 1925. Unframed. £675 |
 19. Study for ‘Wuthering Heights’ VII. Pen, brush and ink. 14x22 inches. Circa 1925. Framed. £675 |  20. Study for ‘Wuthering Heights’ VIII. Pencil, brush and gouache. 12x16 inches. Circa 1925. (Study relates to a pen and ink drawing in the Tate Gallery Collection) Unframed. £675 |  21. Study for ‘Wuthering Heights’: Cathy and Heathcliff on the Moors. Pen, brush and sepia ink. 11x15 inches. Circa 1925. Unframed. £675 |
 22. Study for ‘Wuthering Heights’ IX. Pen, brush, ink and watercolour. 10x14 inches. Circa 1925. Framed. £675 |  23. Study for ‘Wuthering Heights’ X. Pen, brush and sepia ink. 11x15 inches. Circa 1925. Framed. £675 |  24. Study for ‘Wuthering Heights’ XII. Pen, brush and blue ink. 8x10 inches. Circa 1902. Framed. £675 |
 25. Study for ‘Wuthering Heights’ XIII. Pen, brush, ink and watercolour. 23x16 inches. Circa 1925. Verso: Study for ‘Wuthering Heights’: pen, brush and blue ink. Framed. £775 |  26. The arrival of Heathcliff. Pen, brush and sepia ink. 8x6 inches. Circa 1902. Signed and inscribed ‘Chapt (?14) / You must e’en take / it as a gift (of)God / tho its as dark almost as if it came from the devil’ Verso: pen and sepia ink study of figures in an interior. Framed. £775 |  27. ‘Let me alone’sobbed Catherine / if I have done wrong / I am dying for it’. Pen, brush and sepia ink. 9x8 inches. Circa 1902. Inscribed. Verso: pen and sepia ink study of a girl reading. Signed and dated, 1902. Framed. £775 |
 28. Cathy and Heathcliff on the Moor Pen, brush and blue ink. Circa 1925. Framed. £575 |  29. Cathy at the fire side. Pen, brush and blue ink. 22x19 inches. Circa 1925. Framed. £775 |  30 - 37 Provenance: Alton Gallery, Barnes, May 1988. Redfern Gallery. |
 31. Figures by firelight. Pen, brush and sepia ink. 6x9 inches. Circa 1925 Framed. £575 |  32. Cathy and Heathcliff by the fire side. Pen, brush and sepia ink. 6x9 inches. Circa 1925. Framed. £675 |  33. Figure by firelight. Pen, brush and sepia ink. 5x8 inches. Circa 1925. Framed. £675 |
 34. Cathy on the Moor. Red chalk. 9x13 inches. Circa 1925. Study related to watercolour 'Catherine', c.1912. at Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Framed. £575 |  35. Cathy by firelight. Pen, brush and blue ink. 7x10 inches. Circa 1925. £675 |  36. Cathy and Heathcliff under the dresser. Brush and sepia ink. 11x15 inches. Circa 1925. Framed. £775 |
|  38. Cathy and Heathcliff by the fire side. Pen, brush and blue ink. 11x16 inches. Circa 1925 Verso: Cathy in the barn. Pen, brush and blue ink. Framed. £675 |  39. Cathy in the barn. Pen, brush and sepia ink. 9x6 inches. Circa 1925. Framed. £675 |
 40. Cathy’s hair brushed by firelight. Pencil and watercolour. 9x12 inches . Circa 1902. Framed. £775 |  41. Cathy and (Nurse) . Pen and blue grey ink. Circa 1902. Framed. £475 |  42. Cathy reading at the fire side. Pen, brush and blue ink. 10x8 inches. Circa 1902. A study for 43. Framed. £575 |
 43. Cathy reading at the fire side. Pen, ink and watercolour. 15x11 inches. Circa 1925. Framed. £675 |  44. ‘Wuthering Heights’, Cathy at the fires side Pen and sepia ink. 7x10 inches. Signed, dated 1923 and inscribed Framed. £575 |  45. Old Earnshaw nursing Heathcliff. Pen and ink. 11x8 inches. Circa 1902. Verso: Chalk syudy of girl standing on Moor, Framed. £475 |
|  47. ‘Self study / W.Heights’ Pen, brush and ink. 9x7 inches. Signed, inscribed and dated 1902. Framed. £675 |  48. ‘Self study for W.H’ Pen and ink. 9x7 inches. Inscribed. Circa 1902. Framed. £475 |
 49. ‘Self study / Hareton’. Pen and ink. 9x7 inches. Inscribed and dated 1902. Framed. £475 | 
|  51. ‘I had just fastened our pinafores and hung them for a curtain’. Pen and ink. 5x7 inches.Circa 1902. Later inscribed. Framed. £475 |
|  53. Self study. Pen, brush and ink. 12x8 inches. Circa 1902. Framed. £675 | 
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 55. Cathy and Heathcliff entwined. Pencil, pen and ink. 9x7 inches. Inscribed. Verso: pen and ink self study. £375 |  56. Cathy on the Moor. Pen, brush and ink. 9x7 inches. Inscribed. £375 |  57. Cathy by the fires side, ‘Wuthering Heights’. Pen, brush and ink. 9x7 inches, Inscribed. £375 |
 58. ‘Wuthering Heights – Porridge’. Pen, brush and ink. 9x7 inches. Inscribed. Verso: pen, ink and watercolour study of Cathy distraught on the sofa. £375 |  59. ‘Wuthering Heights. Catherine about to die’. Pen, brush and ink. 9x7 inches. Inscribed £375 |  60. ‘Wuthering Heights’, figures in dark interior. Pen, brush and ink. 9x7 inches. Inscribed. £375 |
 61. ‘Wuthering Heights’, ?Heathcliff on the Moor. Pen, brush and ink. 9x7 inches. Inscribed. £375 |  62. ‘Wuthering Heights’, figures at the fires side. Charcoal. 9x7 inches. Inscribed . £275 |  63. ‘Wuthering Heights’, Cathy in the bedroom. Pen, brush and ink. 9x7 inches. Inscribed. Verso: Watercolour study of ‘Upminster Common’. £275 |
 64. ‘Wuthering Heights – Porridge Scene’ Pen and ink. 9x7 inches. Inscribed. £275 |  65. ‘Wuthering Heights’, Cathy and Heathcliff distraught on the sofa. Pencil, pen and ink. 9x7 inches. Inscribed. £375 |  66. ‘Wuthering Heights. Children under the dresser’ Pen, brush and ink. 9x7 inches. Inscribed. Verso: pen, brush and ink study of Cathy and Heathcliff entwined. £275 |
 67. ‘Wuthering Heights. Hairbrushing’. Pen, brush and ink. 9x7 inches. Verso: ‘Augustus John and Ida Nettleship’, pencil and ink study. £375 | 
68. ‘Denis very sunny in shad’(sic) |  69. ‘Carola (the childrens' governess), Justin, Denis and another/the barn’ Pencil,brush and watercolour. 11x14 inches. Signed, inscribed and dated 1914. £675 |
 70. Denis and girl in the kitchen. Watercolour. 11x15 inches. Circa 1915. £675 |  71. The Goat for Denis’ milk Watercolour. 12x19 inches. Signed. Circa 1915. Verso: Woman and child, pencil and watercolour. £675 |  72. ‘Justin and Denis’ Pencil and watercolour. 7x10 inches. Signed, inscribed and dated 1915. £475 |
 73. ‘Denis’. Pencil and watercolour. 12x14 inches. Signed, inscribed and dated 1914. £675 |  74. 'View from the top of the barn at Upminster looking South east/ Upminster Common'. Pen, ink, brush and watercolour. 10 x 16 inches. circa 1915. Signed and inscribed recto/verso. £575 |  75. Farm at Upminster Common Pencil and watercolour. 10x15 inches. Circa 1915. £575 |
 76. Denis cooking. Pencil and watercolour. 10x13 inches. Dated 1916. £675 |  77. Study of Denis Pencil and watercolour. 9x7 inches. Circa 1915. £675 |  78. Children eating apples. Pencil and watercolour. 14x10 inches. Circa 1915. £675 |
 79. The kitchen chair. Pencil and watercolour. 19x11 inches. Circa 1925. £675 | 
|  81. ‘Denis’ and cat at the fires side. Watercolour. 7x9 inches. Inscribed and dated ‘1914?’ £450 |
 82. ‘Justin’ reading. Pencil and watercolour. 8x10 inches. Inscribed. Verso: Children at Gillan Creek. £575 |  83. ‘Justin’ with friends. Pencil and watercolour. 7x10 inches. Inscribed. Circa 1915. £575 | 
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 85. Denis in a doorway. Pencil and watercolour. 10x6 inches. Circa 1915. Verso: pencil study of Denis in a doorway. £475 |  86. Denis and Justin harvesting hay, Upminster. Pencil and watercolour. 8x10 inches. Circa 1920. £575 |  87. ‘The fireplace in Edna’s room’ Pen, ink and watercolour. 7x10 inches. Signed, inscribed verso and dated 1924. £675 |
 88. Denis and the camp fire. Pencil and watercolour. 9x11 inches. Circa 1920. £575 |  89. Children on logs, Upminster. Pencil and watercolour. 9x11 inches. Circa 1920 £575 | 
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 91. Children reading in the garden, Upminster. Pencil and watercolour. 10x14 inches. Circa 1920 £575 |  92. Children playing in the garden, Upminster. Pencil and watercolour. 10x14 inches. Circa 1920. £575 |  93. ‘Denis , the fireplace, Dining room,Great House’, Upminster Common Pen, ink and watercolour. 11x18 inches. Inscribed, dated 1914 verso. £675 |
 94. Wuthering Heights. Cathy and Heathcliff at the hearth. Pen, brush and ink. 12 x 15 inches. Circa 1902. Study relating to pen and ink study of the same subject in the Tate Gallery, London (see 20.) £975 | 
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