{"title":"Wells RBA, Madeline Rachel (1879–1959)","description":"\u003cp\u003eBorn in India in 1879, Madeline Rachel Wells RBA (1879–1959) studied firstly at Westminster School of Art, under William Mouat Loudan, before studying at London School of Art under Sir Frank Brangwyn RA RWS RBA (1867–1956), who had a profound influence on her work. In 1915, she became a member of the Royal Society of British Artists and in 1923 she was elected a member of the Society of Women Artists. Wells exhibited widely over a period of more than thirty years, including at the Grosvenor Gallery, the Royal Academy, and the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe married Robert Douglas Wells (1875–1963), an architect, who had been her fellow student at London School of Art. Robert Wells had studied at architecture at Cambridge and worked on archaeological excavations in Crete. Together, they travelled extensively in France, Spain and the Mediterranean, and both artists recorded and were inspired by the architecture around them. In London, in the 1920s, the couple lived at St Albans Studios in Kensington. From 1939 onwards they lived at 30 Palace Gardens Terrace.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"madeline-rachel-wells-rba-vaison-la-romaine-provence-c-1935-watercolour-jz-857","title":"Madeline Rachel Wells RBA, Vaison-la-Romaine, Provence – c.1935 watercolour","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original c.1935 watercolour painting, Madeline Rachel Wells RBA, Vaison-la-Romaine, Provence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn impressive large watercolour showing architecture at Vaison-la-Romaine in Provence by noted British artist Madeline Rachel Wells RBA (1879–1959). Wells studied under Sir Frank Brangwyn RA RWS RBA (1867–1956) at London School of Art, and his influence can very much be seen in this painting.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWells travelled extensively in France, Spain and the Mediterranean area, along with her architect husband, Robert Douglas Wells (1875–1963), who had been her fellow student at London School of Art. Both artists recorded and were inspired by the architecture around them; here Wells paints the medieval belfry tower undergoing repairs at Vaison-la-Romaine in the Vaucluse region of Provence, with its distinctive wrought-iron bell cage (designed to withstand the fierce Mistral winds) and its ogival arch, one of the two doors to the upper town.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe various architectural elements, with rooftops, archways, ladders and beams, allow for a laying of forms and colours that is almost Cezanne-esque or Cubist in effect—and stylistically resembles Brangwyn's monumental, decorative treatment of his subjects. Brangwyn's recurring themes included architecture, ships, churches, windmills and bridges, and his work above all else was 'usually concerned with the dignity of human labour, and the working man' (Libby Horner). Wells includes two labouring figures in her composition, making the scene not just about the architecture but man's relationship to it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBorn in India in 1879, Madeline Wells studied firstly at Westminster School of Art, under William Mouat Loudan, before studying at London School of Art under Sir Frank Brangwyn. In 1915, she became a member of the Royal Society of British Artists and in 1923 she was elected a member of the Society of Women Artists. Wells exhibited widely over a period of more than thirty years, including at the Grosvenor Gallery, the Royal Academy, and the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRobert Douglas Wells had studied architecture at Cambridge and worked on archaeological excavations in Crete, and the two travelled extensively in the Mediterranean area. In London, in the 1920s, the couple lived at St Albans Studios in Kensington. From 1939 onwards they lived at 30 Palace Gardens Terrace.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn watercolour over graphite with white, blue and red bodycolour. On heavy beige textured wove paper.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith separate accompanying historic Abbott \u0026amp; Holder dealer's label.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Somerset \u0026 Wood","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52019774619977,"sku":"JZ-857","price":695.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0930\/4306\/5161\/files\/jz-857.jpg?v=1743511003"}],"url":"https:\/\/somersetandwood.com\/fr-eu\/collections\/wells-rba-madeline-rachel-1879-1959.oembed","provider":"Somerset \u0026 Wood Fine Art","version":"1.0","type":"link"}