© Estate of Vanessa Bell 1961 courtesy Henrietta Garnett
A set of 50 dinner plates produced by Vanessa Bell, daughter of the eminent critic Leslie Stephen and sister of Virginia Woolf, and fellow Bloomsbury Group member Duncan Grant, who exhibited in Roger Fry's second Post-Impressionist exhibition in 1912.
The service was commissioned by Kenneth Clark, late director of the National Gallery and presenter of the 1969 television series Civilisation. Depicting famous women from history and contemporary life, the set includes portraits of queens, writers, performers, and other known figures including two plates featuring the artists themselves.
Artists include
Provenance
Commissioned by Kenneth Clark from the artists in 1932; by descent to his wife, Nolwen de Janze Rice in 1977; believed sold at auction in Hamburg, Germany c.1989; private collection, UK; acquired by Piano Nobile Gallery, London 2016.