Thursday, June 11, 2020

Mildred Butler

Mildred Anne Butler (1858 - 1941) was an Irish painter who specialized in images of nature, farm life and gardens.

Mildred Anne Butler, R.W.S. (1858-1941) Flowers by the roadside

She was associated with the Newlyn School and became a member of the Royal Academy in 1893.

Mildred Anne Butler, R.W.S. (1858-1941)
A cockerel and hen in a cluster of marguerites
pencil, watercolour and bodycolour with scratching out
10 x 6¾ in. (25.5 x 17.2 cm.)

She painted outdoors from life, a practice that was unusual at the time.

Mildred Anne Butler, Studies of birds

She did quick studies of animals and flowers in watercolor, but she also painted in oil.

Mildred Anne Butler (Irish painter) 1858 - 1941
Willow by the Water's Edge, s.d. watercolour
36 x 52.2 cm. (14.17 x 20.55 in.)

In 1857, The Athenaeum wrote: ‘The young lady knows how to look at her subjects with the eyes of a well trained artist.’

The Wanderers, Mildred Anne Butler, 1898, Ireland, watercolor
Location: Dublin City Gallery, 53.3 x 36.2 cm

Much of her early training came from her father who documented the exotic plants and animals he found on his travels.

Mildred Anne Butler

Butler's life and work was mostly centered on her family home in Kilmurry, though she traveled to England and France as well.
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Mildred Anne Butler on Wikipedia

6 comments:

Jim Douglas said...

Mildred Butler was a consummate master at capturing the light of an overcast day. Her values are perfectly controlled, which is even more amazing when considering she faced the subtle light of the British-Irish Isles. Her painting "Willow by the Water's Edge" is a absolute masterpiece.
Jim, this is precisely the sort of lighting I asked about regarding your Alfred Munnings post on 5/20/2020. The lack of chiaroscuro makes it so much more difficult to discern and organize values. Local color and depth of field seem to become much more important. Would you agree?

Charley Parker said...

Wonderful find. Thanks!

Martha said...

Much appreciated seeing so many of her works.

Virginia Rinkel said...

Thank you for posting this. What a master of the subtle effects of light. Amazing.

Virginia Fhinn said...

Wow! This is the kind of watercolour that really excites me. Thanks! I love finding out about new(old) artists here

GeraldS said...

I am blown away of the Artists of the past that are new to me as my adventure rolls along. Thanks for showcasing this amazing work!