AIRY, Anna

1882 - 1964

Anna Airy was born at 2 The Circus, Greenwich, London on 6 June 1882, only daughter of Wilfrid Airy (19 September 1836-18 October 1925), civil engineer, and granddaughter of Sir George Biddell Airy (1801-1892), astronomer royal; and Wilfred's wife Anna Listing (1849-22 June 1882), who died as a result of childbirth, daughter of Professor Dr Johann Benedict Listing (25 July 1808–24 December 1882) of Göttingen University, who married at Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany on 27 April 1881. Anna was raised under the care of her two maiden aunts, Annot Airy and Christabel Airy, who were both artists, and she studied at the Slade School of Fine Art 1899-1903 under Frederick Brown (1851-1941), Philip Wilson Steer and Henry Tonks (1862-1937), being awarded a Slade scholarship in 1903 and the Melville Nettleship Prize for three consecutive years. In 1906, Anna was elected a member of the Pastel Society, in 1908 an associate member of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers, in 1909 a member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters, in 1913 a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and in 1918 a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours and was one of the most respected female artists of her generation. Anna exhibited at the Royal Academy in London, every year excepting 1931, 1905-1956, also showing at international exhibitions in Paris, Stockholm, Milan, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal with some of her paintings in the royal collection and the Queen Mother used a reproduction for one of her Christmas cards. A member of the Ipswich Fine Art Club, 1903-1964 and its first woman president and where she exhibited regularly, and was also chairman of Ipswich Museum’s committee and she exhibited at the Ipswich Fine Art Club from 5 Parkhill Road Studios, London in 1923, an oil 'A Suffolk Stable', three etchings 'Apple Blossom', 'Theft' and 'Goldfinches Fighting' and a pen & colour drawing 'Pomona's Glory' and in 1933 from Playford, Ipswich an oil 'Spring Birthday' and a watercolour 'Time of Harvest'. Anna painted under her maiden name, although she had married at Hampstead on 18 February 1916, artist Geoffrey Buckingham Pocock, who had taught at the Slade. In 1933 Anna and her husband moved to 'The Cottage', Playford, near Ipswich where she remained for the rest of her life. As a much-respected teacher at Ipswich School of Art she always included a student section in their Annual Exhibition and since her death in 1964 the Ipswich Art Society has continued the tradition by arranging an independent exhibition of students’ work for the 'Anna Airy Award'. Anna Pocock died at Playford on 23 October 1964, without issue, her only surviving relative being her cousin Colonel Airy of Gloucester. After her death, forty of her paintings were sold at the Haste Gallery, Ipswich but the whereabouts of the balance of her collection is not known. In 1930 she published 'Art of Pastel', in 1945 'London Lyrices' and in 1953 'Making a Start in Art'.

Royal Academy Exhibits
from 7 The Studios, Sherriff Road, West Hampstead
1905 724 Michael Lee, Esq.: Indian Mutiny
1906 433 The Rt.Hon. Sir J. Gorell Barnes, LL.D.
         1348 Willow Pattern - drawing
1907 348 La Penseuse
from 5 Parkhill Road Studios, Plumstead, London NW
1908 465 For Carnival
         584 "For my Gold is turned into Silver"
1909 354 The Scandal Mongers
1910 730 High Noon is Passing
1911 340 The Kitchen Queen
1912 232 The Expert Player
         804 Portion of Scripture
1913 505 The Gambler's Club
1914 207 St Stephen's, Walbrook, EC
         352 The Braggart
1915 67 Midday in a City Church
         319 Richard Whiteing, Esq.
         375 The Tale-bearer
1916 222 Pauline, elder daughter of P. G. Konody, Esq.
         461 "Autumn treads where summer ran"
1917 206 "Rights of Man"
         300 Alexander the Waiter: his corner
         1259 H. B. Irving, Esq. - drawing
1918 220 Error in Pay
1919 130 The 'L' Press: forging an 18" Gun at Armstrong Whitworth
         138 The "Verdun" Shop: 15 inch Shells
         390 The Shell Forge: National Projectile Factory, Hackney Marshes
1920 112 Roses Triumphant
         558 'Pay or Quit'
1921 241 On the Border Line
         339 Patricia, daughter of G. Baldwin Hamilton, Esq.
1922 228 In the Stable
         285 June Morning
1923 404 In the Flower Shop
1924 707 Ripening - watercolour
1925 191 Gardener's Boy
         578 Morning Gathered
1926 88 A 'First Night' Harvest
         369 The Man with the Macaw
1927 626 Hawkers' Noonday
         630 Pale January
1928 356 Heartache Stairs
         379 Between the Showers
1929 110 A Side Table
         590 Spring Birthday
1930 768 Embroidery - watercolour
1932 106 The Fledgling
         883 The Devotee
1933 198 Summer Riot
         403 The Illustrate – portrait group
from The Cottage, Playford, Woodbridge, Suffolk
1934 624 Reflection’s
         691 Madonna’s Handmaids
1935 308 July Piece
1936 353 Mirrored Summer
         547 Spring Song
1937 405 Blackberry Harvest
1938 596 Message of May
1939 671 The Vase
1940 357 August Keepsake
1941 285 Reflect Glory
1942 417 Winter Hedgerow
1943 551 New Year
         612 Farewell
1944 879 Under ab Apple Tree - watercolour
1945 268 The of Lincoln's Inn 1944
         840 Last Year’s Legacy
1946 763 The Rabbit Hole
1947 840 The Twisted Hedgevine
1948 907 Ruined Root-knot
1949 779 The Silver Wreck
1950 936 Rustic Pillar - watercolour
1951 Hedgerow Rubbish - watercolour
1952 Good Morning - watercolour
1953 323 Jour de Fete
         903 The Shadowed Water-splash
1954 156 Summer Glory
         811 Leave-overs – pen and watercolours
1955 769 Spring Hedgerow – pen and watercolour
1956 880 Verdure and Decay – pen & watercolour

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Works by This Artist