Dame Ethel Walker DBE ARA (9 June 1861-2 March 1951); Scottish painter of portraits, flowers, sea pieces and decorative compositions. Her work shows the influence of Impressionism, Puvis de Chavannes, Gauguin and Asian art. Produced a large body of works from different genres, including flowers, seascapes, landscapes and mythical subjects. Her influences included Greek and Renaissance art, as well as Chinese painting and Taoist philosophy... Best known for her portraits of the female form, paying particular attention to the detail of the sitters/models expression and individual temperaments. Her obvious, tactical brush strokes obscure unnecessary details, thereby allowing her to emphasize the aspects of the mood of the moment. A supporter of the natural female form, she often publicly rebuked other women for wearing makeup and heavy clothing that hid their form. Her models were never allowed to wear makeup, lipstick, or nail polish during sittings. She painted a series of works that reflected mythological themes, and several works depicting nude female models. In one piece, Invocation, she used 25 female models, all either scantly clad or nude, kneeling around 3 female models who are wearing sheer cloth.... It is considered her most detailed piece. Her works throughout her career seemed to capture the human spirit while celebrating the beauty of the female body. Although no longer considered a major artist in history, the art produced by Walker, who died in London, did have a positive and thought-provoking impact on art as a whole.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_Walker) ...painter and occasional sculptor. In 1900 became the first woman member of the New English Art Club, where she mainly exhibited, building a reputation as one of the outstanding British women artists of her time. She painted in an attractive Impressionist style, but her most individual works are large decorative compositions... http://artuk.org/discover/artists/walker-ethel-18611951 undefined

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