WINIFRED AUSTEN

Winifred Austen (1876–1964) was born in Kent, raised in London and trained at the Central School of Arts and Crafts. She exhibited at the R.A. from 1903 being elected to the Society of Women Artists in 1902, the Royal Society of Etchers and Engravers in 1907 and the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours in 1933. She built her reputation on technically sophisticated paintings and prints of animals, most notably birds. She was admired not only for her ability to capture the physical appearance of birds, especially their plumage, but also the behavioural character of each species. In her plates, mallard, wigeon, partridge or zebra finches wheel, feed or rise from cover with an awesome sense of motion.

From the 1920s Austen settled in Suffolk where her close study of native birdlife deepened into active advocacy. She had been a fellow of the Royal Zoological Society since 1903 and now began an association with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Havergate Island Bird Sanctuary, working with both to safeguard vulnerable species along the East Anglian coast.

PROVENANCE: These prints were acquired by Laurie Vance Johnson of Princeton, New Jersey, during the 1960s and 1970s. Mrs Johnson ran a dealership called The Drawing Room and intended the prints to one day form an exhibition. We hope that this group, now on display in the gallery, goes some way to realising that mission.

LIST 565

December 2025

PICTURES FOR CHRISTMAS!
Groups of stock released throughout December.

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