Arts column: Very few British artists made their way to Bermuda

I have to admit that I am pretty ignorant when it comes to knowing a whole lot about the great British artists — of course names like Constable, Gainsborough and Turner come to mind but I would be hard pressed to engage in any intelligent conversation on the subject! 

I also find it a little strange that despite the fact that Bermuda is a Bermuda colony, a very small number of British artists have actually come to the island and even fewer are represented in the Masterworks Collection — a situation we would sorely like to fix. 

However, there are two interesting works we acquired a number of years ago, which associate the island with one of the family art dynasties of the 20th century. 

Augustus John and his sister Gwen were prominent artists at the turn of the century and although their individual styles were remarkably different, they both have important artistic legacies. 

Augustus’ daughter, Vivien, was a second-generation artist from this family, which extended to include five half brothers. Vivien’s parents didn’t believe in formal education but did allow her to attend the Slade art school-on the condition she receive no instruction! 

The family sailed to Jamaica in 1937 where Augustus and Vivien exhibited. According to James Giddings in a letter to Daniel Hunt in 1994, “the two pictures by Vivien John (of her mother Dorelia or “Dodo” and their maid Prissy) were given to me on my 21st birthday in 1938 in England…I am certain that the pictures were done in Bermuda as I was there; it was my first time in a flying boat and Vivien and I flew to Bermuda from Jamaica, meeting up with the rest of the tribe. The rest of the tribe included Augustus, Dorelia and their friends.”