The Pastel Society
The Pastel Society is a British artist association of painters who work with pastel colors. It belongs to the Federation of British Artists (FBA ) and has its headquarters in the Mall Galleries in London, where also the other of the nine members of the Federation of British Artists are housed.
History
The Pastel Society was founded in 1898. The first exhibition was held on February 4, 1899 under the lead of George Frederic Watts, who was also the first president of the society. In this exhibition, which was organized in the premises of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours in Piccadilly, works by Léon Augustin Lhermitte, Jean -François Millet and James McNeill Whistler were seen. At the following exhibitions Frank Brangwyn, Edgar Degas, Auguste Rodin, William Rothstein and John Singer Sargent participated.
Today the Society has more than fifty members who work as professional artists in the British Isles or overseas. Membership is subject to a rigorous selection process by technical skills, originality and innovation. The Society organizes regular exhibitions, in addition to workshops, tutorials, demonstrations and lectures throughout the UK. But the most important activity and at the same time showcase of the company is the big annual exhibition in the prestigious Mall Galleries in London. This is open to contributions from both members and non-members. For outstanding works of prizes will be awarded.
Well-known artists
- Gillian Ayres
- Frank Brangwyn
- Edgar Degas
- Thomas Millie Dow
- Laura Knight
- Léon Augustin Lhermitte
- Jean -François Millet
- Tom Phillips
- Paula Rego
- Auguste Rodin
- William Rothstein
- John Singer Sargent
- Ernest Sheppard
- Walter Sickert
- George Frederic Watts
- James McNeill Whistler