James Anthony Betts (1897–1980) was a British artist and arts professor.

Early life

Betts was born in

Skipton Skipton (also known as Skipton-in-Craven) is a market town and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the East Division of Staincliffe Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the River Air ...

North Riding of Yorkshire The North Riding of Yorkshire is a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point is at Mickle Fell with 2,585 ft (788 metres). From the Restoration it was used as ...

. He began his education at the parish school of St Stephen's Church, Skipton a Catholic congregation. As an adult, Betts was employed by

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It am ...

where he worked as a clerk. At night, however, he attended art classes led by Nellie Serena Flexen, a 1917 graduate of the

Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It offe ...

. With Flexen's encouragement, Betts sought further training at

Bradford College Bradford College is a further and higher education college in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, with approximately 25,000 students. The college offers a range of full and part-time courses from introductory level through to postgraduate l ...

. From Bradford, Betts was accepted at the

where he came under the influence and instruction of Paul Nash. While there, he developed friendships with fellow students

Eric Ravilious Eric William Ravilious (22 July 1903 – 2 September 1942) was a British painter, designer, book illustrator and wood-engraver. He grew up in Sussex, and is particularly known for his watercolours of the South Downs and other English landsca ...

Edward Bawden Edward Bawden, (10 March 1903 – 21 November 1989) was an English painter, illustrator and graphic artist, known for his prints, book covers, posters, and garden metalwork furniture. Bawden taught at the Royal College of Art, where he had be ...

, and

Helen Binyon Helen Francesca Mary Binyon (9 December 1904 – 22 November 1979) was a British artist and writer. She was also a watercolour painter, an illustrator and a puppeteer. Biography Binyon was born in Chelsea, London, Chelsea in London, her father ...

Academic career

In 1925, Betts married Nellie Flexen and the following year took a teaching position at Sheffield College, eventually becoming head of the painting department at the school. In 1930, he moved on to become principal of

Kingston School of Art The Kingston School of Art (KSA) is an art school in Kingston upon Thames, part of Kingston University London. It was first established in 1899 as the Kingston School of Science and Art. In 1930 it was established as a separate school and has be ...

. In 1934, Betts was hired as a professor of art at the

University of Reading The University of Reading is a public university in Reading, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1892 as University College, Reading, a University of Oxford extension college. The institution received the power to grant its own degrees in 192 ...

. He was elected to membership in the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...

the following year. Not long after that, he became head of Reading's fine arts department, a position he held until 1963 when he retired. During his lifetime, exhibitions of Betts' work were held in London, Paris, and New York. One of his works is held by the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

. His remaining paintings are held by private collectors and in the University of Reading Art Collection.

Notable students

Anthony Eyton Anthony Eyton (born 17 May 1923) is a British artist and member of the Royal Academy. Early life and education Eyton was born in Teddington, Middlesex, and studied fine art at Reading University under James Anthony Betts before leaving for the ...

George Fisher Gilmour George Fisher Gilmour (1904-1984) was a British artist, playwright, and filmmaker. As a genre painter, he worked primarily in oil and watercolor. Biography George Fisher Gilmour was born on April 12, 1904, in Kingston upon Thames to George Str ...

Kenneth Steel Kenneth Steel (RBA, SGA, 9 July 1906 – 1970) was a British painter and engraver, noted for his works of art in watercolor. As an accomplished draughtsman his work is noted for its intricate detail, which can be best seen in his landscapes view ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Betts, James Anthony 1897 births 1980 deaths British artists People from North Yorkshire Academics of the University of Reading