Rose Hilton née Phipps, (15 August 1931 – 19 March 2019) was a British painter living in

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

. Her husband said that he would be only artist in their relationship, but she achieved recognition after he died.

Life

Hilton was born in Kent, in 1931 into a very religious family. There was not much art in her house but she cherished the religious illustrations that she saw. Her parents did not want her to be an artist but training in art to be a teacher was allowed.She attended 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 ...

in London but her parents insisted that she travel home each night to avoid the life in London. She and

Bridget Riley Bridget Louise Riley (born 24 April 1931) is an English painter known for her op art paintings. She lives and works in London, Cornwall and the Vaucluse in France. Early life and education Riley was born on 24 April 1931 in West Norwood, No ...

were two of the leading students, both gaining first class degrees. She won the Life Drawing and Painting prize as well as the Abbey Minor Scholarship to Rome. Upon her return to London, she began teaching art, and, in the late 1950s met her future husband, the leading abstract artist

Roger Hilton Roger Hilton CBE (1911–1975) was a pioneer of abstract art in post-Second World War Britain. Often associated with the 'middle generation' of St Ives painters – Terry Frost, Patrick Heron, Peter Lanyon & Bryan Wynter – he spent much o ...

. Roger actively discouraged his wife’s artistic endeavours, but following his death in 1975 she took up her brushes again. In 1977 she had her first solo show at

Newlyn Art Gallery Newlyn Art Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located in Newlyn, Cornwall, UK. Opened in 1895, designed by James Hicks of Redruth and financed by John Passmore Edwards the gallery was conceived as a home and exhibition venue for the Newlyn ...

, and her post-impressionist, figurative paintings have achieved wide popularity. Her work is often compared to that of the French Nabi painter,

Pierre Bonnard Pierre Bonnard (; 3 October 186723 January 1947) was a French painter, illustrator and printmaker, known especially for the stylized decorative qualities of his paintings and his bold use of color. A founding member of the Post-Impressionist ...

and is noticeably influenced by that of

Henri Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known prima ...

. In 2008, a retrospective of Rose Hilton's work was held at

Tate St Ives Tate St Ives is an art gallery in St Ives, Cornwall, England, exhibiting work by modern British artists with links to the St Ives area. The Tate also took over management of another museum in the town, the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture ...

References

External links

* (managed by Messums)]
"Colour fields"
in ''Tate etc'' magazine Issue 12 / Spring 2008 with links to two related articles.
"Rose Hilton: Look who's painting now - Rose Hilton's strict Christian parents weren't keen on her becoming an artist. But the person who actually stopped her painting was her husband – a prominent artist himself. Now nearly 80, she has finally answered her calling" Fiona Clampin in ''The Guardian'', Saturday 19 March 2011

Interview by Fiona Clampin broadcast on BBC Radio 4 5/04/2011 (Sound recording).

"The beauty of ordinary things" a pack for teachers with information and practical ideas for groups, produced by the Tate Gallery St Ives, accompanying the 2008 retrospective, written by Angie MacDonald
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hilton, Rose 1931 births 2019 deaths 20th-century English painters 20th-century English women artists 21st-century English painters 21st-century English women artists Alumni of the Royal College of Art Artists from Cornwall Artists from Kent English women painters