Freda Skinner

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Freda Skinner (31 January 1911 – 19 July 1993) was a British sculptor and woodcarver who was head of sculpture at Wimbledon School of Art from 1945 to 1971.

Skinner was born in Limpsfield, Surrey, where her father had a farm; she showed an early interest in art with paintings of a prized Champion Devon Red bull and a cow.[1] She studied under Henry Moore and Alan Durst at The Royal College of Art, her course fees being met, in part, by neighbours including Ethel and Sybil Pye.[2] She then went on to teach toy making and sculpture at Kingston School of Art,[3] and was head of sculpture at Wimbledon School of Art 1945 to 1971.

She was a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors and a member of the Society of Portrait Sculptors.[2]

Her 1972 sculpture Virgin and Child is in the Lady Chapel of St Elphege's Church, Wallington, south London.[2] She also carved the foundation stone for the Barbican Art Centre in central London, in 1972.[2] She exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition six times.[4]

In 1993 there was a retrospective exhibition of her work at the Bruton Street Gallery in central London. Two of her jigsaw works for Abbatt Toys are held in the V&A.[5][6][7]

In 1944 she was recorded living at The Ivy House, French Street, Sunbury-on-Thames, then at 79 Deodar Road, Putney, from about 1946 to about 1967; she may also have lived at No 35.[4] She moved to Wiltshire in 1987 and died in West Amesbury, Wiltshire on 19 July 1993.[2]

Madonna and Child
Stations of the Cross XII, St John the Divine, Richmond
The Spirit of Youth

Works exhibited at the Royal Academy[]

Year Title Type [8]
1938 Horse Bronze statue
1944 A Berthel, Esq. Head, terra-cotta
1951 Jana Bust, terra-cotta
1952 Marianna Head, Bronze
1960 Mrs Hoffman Head, ciment fondu
1963 Child with an apple Half-figure, concrete
1967 Horse Bronze
1989 Harlequin Bronze (edition of 10)

Selected works[]

Type Location Date Note
Madonna and Child St Thomas More Church, Dulwich 1933 [9][10]
War Memorial St Mary's Church, Battersea 1949 [11][12]
Rood Cross St Francis of Assisi Church, Isleworth 1957 [13]
Stations of the Cross St John the Divine, Richmond 1955–1970
The Risen Christ St Paul's Church, Lorrimore Square 1960 [14]
The Spirit of Youth Roundwood Park, Willesden

Originally installed in 1966 outside the new indoor pool at Willesden Lido.

1966 [15][16]
Virgin and Child St Elphege's Church, Wallington, London 1972
Foundation Stone Barbican Arts Centre 1972
Plaque and Coat of Arms Barbican Arts Centre 1982
Cromwell Debates St Mary's Church, Putney 1982


Bibliography[]

  • Woodcarving (1961) New York: Sterling Pub. Co ISBN 1163825581

References[]

  1. ^ Bromell, Hugo (1 December 2020). "Prized Pair Come to Charterhouse". Charterhouse Auctioneers.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Mitchell, Sheila (30 July 1993). "Obituary: Freda Skinner". The Independent. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  3. ^ Mulholland, Richard (2 August 2012). "Conserving the British Toy Making Archive". British Toy Making.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Miss Freda N. Skinner – Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851–1951". sculpture.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  5. ^ "Dalmation". V and A Collections. 16 December 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  6. ^ "Mariners". V and A Collections. 16 December 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  7. ^ "Paul and Marjorie Abbatt Ltd". V&A Museum of Childhood.
  8. ^ "Exhibition catalogues (8)". Royal Academy.
  9. ^ Evinson, Denis (1998). Catholic Churches of London. A&C Black. p. 209.
  10. ^ "Dulwich – St Thomas More". Taking Stock: Catholic Churches of England & Wales.
  11. ^ "The Memorial". Times [London, England]. 12 December 1949. p. 10 – via The Times Digital Archive.
  12. ^ "St Marys Church WW1 And WW2". Imperial War Museum. 20 February 2015.
  13. ^ "St Francis Of Assisi: History". St Francis of Assisi Church, Isleworth.
  14. ^ Cherry, Bridget; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1983). London 2: South. Yale University Press. p. 577.
  15. ^ "The Spirit of Youth by Freda Skinner". The Willesden Herald. 13 May 2012.
  16. ^ Green Jessel, Anne. "Willesden – King Edwards Pool VII – 1911+ Indoor pool 1966". Finding Lidos – Dive into Lost Lidos.
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