KAPP, Helen

1901 - 1978

Helen Babette Kapp was born at Hampstead, London on 17 December 1901, youngest child and only daughter of the three children of Emil Benjamin Kapp (29 January 1861-18 February 1929), a Russian produce importer and wine merchant, who became a naturalised British subject in 1887, and his wife Bella née Wolff (24 May 1867-6 January 1936), who married at Darmstadt, near Frankfurt on 16 May 1889. In 1911, Helen was living at 72 West End Lane, Hampstead with her parents, 50-year-old Emil, born in Germany and 43-year-old mother Bella, who declared U.S.A. residency, Helen's only surviving of two brothers, was artist Edmond Xavier Kapp (5 November 1890-29 October 1978). Helen studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, the Central School of Arts and Crafts and in Paris. A painter, illustrator, wood engraver and curator, she exhibited at the Royal Academy; Artist's International Association; London Group of Artists and the Society of Women Artists and had solo shows at Nicholson's Gallery and in 1946 at Haifa, Israel with the British Council, she also illustrated several books including Basil Collier's 'Prades and the Canigou' (1939) and Eleanour Rhode's 'Rose Recipes' (1939). In 1939, an artist painter, living at 14 Maitland Park Villas, St Pancras, London and was a touring lecturer with the Harrogate Art Gallery 1940-42 and the director of Wakefield City Art Gallery, Yorkshire 1951-1961 where she also exhibited her works and during which time, she made a lecture tour of the United States. For the six years prior to her retirement in 1967, was the first director of Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, Westmorland. She retired to Leiston in Suffolk but was still active in her work, mounting an Art Exhibition at Harrogate Festival in 1973 and was the author of 'Enjoying Pictures' (1975) and several other books. Helen Babette Kapp died at 17 Carr Avenue, Leiston on 13 October 1978, she was unmarried. The Hepworth Wakefield’s archives hold a substantial volume of Kapp’s sketchbooks and notebooks.

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Works by This Artist