Anna Hope Hudson (1869–1957) was an American-born artist who lived and worked in France and England. She was a founding member of

the London Group The London Group is a society based in London, England, created to offer additional exhibiting opportunities to artists besides the Royal Academy of Arts. Formed in 1913, it is one of the oldest artist-led organisations in the world. It was for ...

, and the life partner of likewise artist

Ethel Sands Ethel Sands (6 July 1873 – 19 March 1962) was an American-born artist and hostess who lived in England from childhood. She studied art in Paris, where she met her life partner Anna Hope Hudson (Nan). Her works were generally still lifes and ...

Early life

Hudson was born 10 September 1869 in New York City. She was the daughter of Colonel Edward McKenny Hudson, who died in 1892; her mother died when she was 9 years old. She lived in the United States until she was 24 when she moved to Europe, preferring France of the places she lived and visited. The inheritance that she received was the result of her grandfather's success as a partner of a banknote engraving organization, which later merged to become the

American Bank Note Company ABCorp is an American corporation providing contract manufacturing and related services to the authentication, payment and secure access business sectors. Its history dates back to 1795 as a secure engraver and printer, and assisting the newl ...

.Mary Ann Caws & Sarah Bird Wright.
Bloomsbury and France : Art and Friends: Art and Friends
'. Oxford University Press; 2 December 1999. . p. 123.

Education

Hudson began her studies in Paris in 1892 and met fellow art student

, who became her life partner. Like Sands, Hudson was provided a legacy upon her parents' death. They studied under Eugène Carrière in 1896. Henri Evenepoel, a Flemish painter, was Hudson's art instructor beginning in January 1897.

Artist

Walter Richard Sickert - Miss Hudson at Rowlandson House - 1910

Hudson lived and painted with

, dividing their time between France and England. Sands was a socialite who frequently entertained artists and writers when they were in England. Hudson preferred a quieter lifestyle in France, and it was there that Hudson first established herself as an artist. She made a painting of

Giudecca Canal The Giudecca Canal ( vec, Canal de ła Zueca) is a body of water that flows into the San Marco basin in Venice, Italy. It is one of the major canals in the city, it bisects the ''sestieri'' of Dorsoduro, separating Giudecca island and district f ...

after travelling to Venice to paint. It was shown at the

Salon d'Automne The Salon d'Automne (; en, Autumn Salon), or Société du Salon d'automne, is an art exhibition held annually in Paris, France. Since 2011, it is held on the Champs-Élysées, between the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais, in mid-October. The f ...

in Paris in 1906.

Walter Sickert Walter Richard Sickert (31 May 1860 – 22 January 1942) was a German-born British painter and printmaker who was a member of the Camden Town Group of Post-Impressionist artists in early 20th-century London. He was an important influence on d ...

, who know Hudson through her association with Sands, had not known of her works. Impressed, he shared his opinions about her talent and invited her to the

Fitzroy Street Group The Fitzroy Street Group was an organisation created to promote and support artists. It was established in 1907 by Walter Sickert and merged in 1913 with the Camden Town Group to form the London Group. Overview In 1907 Walter Sickert formed the ...

. Sands also joined the group, where both women sometimes attended and often sent paintings for the Saturday "At Homes" sessions.

, who captured her confident, independent manner in ''Miss Hudson at Rowlandson House'' that he made about 1910, described Hudson as "the radiant and dashing horsewoman of a young man's dreams."

Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Woolf was born i ...

said that she dressed stylishly and was "dour and upstanding." In England, Hudson began exhibiting her works at

Leicester Galleries Leicester Galleries was an art gallery located in London from 1902 to 1977 that held exhibitions of modern British, French and international artists' works. Its name was acquired in 1984 by Peter Nahum, who operates "Peter Nahum at the Leiceste ...

, the

New English Art Club The New English Art Club (NEAC) was founded in London in 1885 as an alternative venue to the Royal Academy. It continues to hold an annual exhibition of paintings and drawings at the Mall Galleries in London, exhibiting works by both members and a ...

and the Allied Artists Association. In 1912 she had a joint show with Sands at the Carfax Gallery. The Fitzroy Street Group and the male member only

Camden Town Group The Camden Town Group was a group of English Post-Impressionist artists founded in 1911 and active until 1913. They gathered frequently at the studio of painter Walter Sickert in the Camden Town area of London. History In 1908, critic Frank ...

} merged in 1913 to become the

London Group The London Group is a society based in London, England, created to offer additional exhibiting opportunities to artists besides the Royal Academy of Arts. Formed in 1913, it is one of the oldest artist-led organisations in the world. It was form ...

, of which both Sands and Hudson were founding members. Hudson occasionally exhibited her work there until 1938. She also continued to have works shown at the English Art Club. At Sickert's invitation, Hudson occasionally work in his studios and used his models for subjects of her paintings. Her works, inspired by

Édouard Vuillard Jean-Édouard Vuillard (; 11 November 186821 June 1940) was a French painter, decorative artist and printmaker. From 1891 through 1900, he was a prominent member of the Nabis, making paintings which assembled areas of pure color, and interior sc ...

and Walter Sickert, were in large part destroyed or lost during World War II. There are some remaining works in public collections and one at the

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

World wars

Sands and Hudson established a hospital for soldiers near

Dieppe Dieppe (; Norman: ''Dgieppe'') is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to N ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. It was forced to close down, and they continued their nursing efforts in both France and England. During World War II, Hudson's house was pillaged and Sand's Chelsea home was destroyed during

The Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

by a

parachute mine A parachute mine is a naval mine dropped from an aircraft by parachute. They were mostly used in the Second World War by the Luftwaffe and initially by the Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command. Frequently, they were dropped on land targets. Histo ...

Personal life

Hudson purchased the 17th-century house, the Château d’Auppegard, in 1920. It was located in the countryside about 10 miles from Dieppe. She had it restored and decorated her beloved house over a period of time. Sands and Hudson lived together until her death on 17 September 1957.

Works

Among the works that survived World War II plunders and bombings are: * ''Château d’Auppegard,'' after 1927, oil on board, 46.2 x 38.2 cm (estimated)

, having been bequeathed by Colonel Christopher Sands in 2000. * ''Harbour, Northern France, Dieppe,''oil on board, 35 x 43 cm,

Government Art Collection The Government Art Collection (GAC) is the collection of artworks owned by the UK government and administered by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The GAC's artworks are used to decorate major government buildings in t ...

* ''Newington House, Autumn, Oxfordshire,'' 1913, oil on canvas, 60.8 x 73.1 cm, Derby Museums and Art Gallery * ''The Lamb Inn, Wallingford,'' 1912 * ''The Visitor,'' oil on canvas, 37.5 x 24.8 cm, York Museums TrustThe Visitor.''
Your Paintings: Anna Hope Hudson. BBC. Retrieved 18 January 2014.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hudson, Anna Hope 1869 births 1957 deaths 19th-century American painters 20th-century American painters American expatriates in France American emigrants to England 20th-century American women artists 19th-century American women artists American lesbian artists