Ruby Winifred Levick (11 September 1871 – 31 March 1940) was a Welsh sculptor and medallist who had many of her works exhibited at the Royal Academy.

Biography

Levick was born in

Llandaff Llandaff (; cy, Llandaf ; from 'church' and ''River Taff, Taf'') is a district, Community (Wales), community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It was incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of ...

, Glamorgan, the daughter of George Levick, a civil engineer from

Blaina Blaina ( cy, Blaenau ) is a small town, situated deep within the South Wales Valleys between Brynmawr and Abertillery in the unitary authority of Blaenau Gwent, ancient parish of Aberystruth, preserved county of Gwent and historic county o ...

, and Jeannie Sowerby. Her younger brother was the explorer

George Murray Levick George Murray Levick (3 July 1876 – 30 May 1956) was a British Antarctic explorer, naval surgeon and founder of the Public Schools Exploring Society. Early life Levick was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, the son of civil engineer George L ...

. She studied at the

National Art Training School 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 ...

, NATS, in London between 1893 and 1897, where she was taught by the sculptor

Édouard Lantéri Édouard Lantéri (31 October 1848 – 22 December 1917) was a French-born British sculptor and medallist whose romantic French style of sculpting was seen as influential among exponents of New Sculpture. His name is also frequently spelle ...

and where she won a gold medal for her statuette ''Boys Wrestling''. Among her contemporaries at NATS, which became 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 o ...

in 1896, were several other notable female sculptors including

Margaret Giles Margaret May Giles (20 May 1868 – 31 March 1949) was a British painter, sculptor, and medallist. She was a member of the Society of Medallists and exhibited at their first exhibition in 1898 which was held at the Dutch Gallery in London, where ...

Esther Moore Esther Mary Moore (6 November 1857–1934) was a British artist known for her sculptures, metalwork and jewellery. Biography Moore was born in Burnley in Lancashire, one of the eight children of Mary Margerison and Henry Moore, who was a master ...

, Florence Steele, Lilian Simpson and Lucy Gwendolen Williams. Throughout her career Levick specialised in bronze statuettes and garden pieces, often of children at play or of people in motion. Her statuettes of male athletes and groups of working people, for example ''Fishermen Hauling in a Net'', were much admired. Levick also created a number of works for churches. These included a set of panels for the Chapel of St Edmund in Hunstanton plus panels and reredos for St Brelades in Jersey. Levick exhibited her work at the Society of Medallists in 1898 and 1901, with the

Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society The Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society was formed in London in 1887 to promote the exhibition of decorative arts alongside fine arts. The Society's exhibitions were held annually at the New Gallery (London), New Gallery from 1888 to 1890, and roug ...

in 1899, 1903 and 1916 and also at the

Walker Art Gallery The Walker Art Gallery is an art gallery in Liverpool, which houses one of the largest art collections in England outside London. It is part of the National Museums Liverpool group. History of the Gallery The Walker Art Gallery's collection ...

in Liverpool, the Ridley Art Club and at the Royal Academy in London.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Levick, Ruby 1871 births 1940 deaths 19th-century Welsh sculptors 19th-century Welsh women artists 20th-century Welsh sculptors 20th-century Welsh women artists Alumni of the Royal College of Art British medallists People from Llandaff Welsh women sculptors