Sally Arnup

☆ Save On Wikipedia ↗
Sally Arnup
FRBS ARCA
Born
Sally Robina Baynton Williams

(1930-07-15)15 July 1930
London, England
Died22 December 2015(2015-12-22) (aged 85)
York, England
Resting place
Holy Trinity Church, Holtby, Yorkshire
Education
  • Kingston School of Art
  • Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts
  • Royal College of Art
Known forSculpture
SpouseMick Arnup (m. 1953–2008; his death)

Sally Arnup (15 July 1930 – 22 December 2015) was an English sculptor known for her depictions of animals. Her studios, where she worked alongside her husband Mick Arnup, were located at Holtby, a village near York.

Early life and education

Frisian Calf, King's Manor, by Sally Arnup
Irish Wolfhound, York Art Gallery, by Sally Arnup

Sally Robina Baynton Williams[1] was born on 15 July 1930 in London.[2][3]

She began studying at the Kingston School of Art at the age of 13.[2] She later studied at Camberwell College of Arts and the Royal College of Art, where she was taught by both Frank Dobson and John Skeaping.[4][5]

Career

From 1958 to 1972 Arnup was the head of sculpture at York College of Art.[2]

She retired from teaching in 1974 to focus on her artistic career.[6]

Arnup's studios were located at Holtby, a village near York.[7] The Arnup Studio where both Sally and Mick Arnup worked was opened to the public in 2011 as part of York Open Studios.[8]

Artworks and exhibitions

Arnup's speciality as an artist was for bronze animal sculptures, often created with the live animal present.[4][9]

Among her most notable commissions was a work for the Duke of Edinburgh’s 80th Birthday, depicting his Fell Pony Storm.[9] In 1971 she cast a silver leopard which was presented to Queen Elizabeth II by the City of York.[4]

She regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy in London, with the Royal Society of British Artists, with the Royal Scottish Academy and at the Paris Salon.[4] In 1968 the University of York hosted a solo exhibition of her work as did Gainsborough House in Suffolk during 1998.[10]

Recognition and awards

In 1955 Arnup won the Royal Society of British Sculptors' Feodora Gleichen Award for women artists.[10]

Personal life

Arnup's married Mick Arnup in 1953 and they remained together until his death in 2008.[11][12] He also taught art at York College of Art;[5] both of them retired from teaching in 1974 to focus on their artistic careers.[13]

Death and legacy

In 2015, at the age of 85, Arnup suffered a stroke while modelling a horse for a large scale sculpture at stables near Thirsk.[7] She later (22 December 2015)[1] died in York Hospital from septicaemia.[7] She was interred at Holy Trinity Church in Holtby.[1]

A life-sized sculpture of an Irish Wolfhound by Arnup was posthumously donated to the York Art Gallery in 2017.[5]

Works in collections

Title Year Medium Gallery no. Gallery Location
Donkey Fowl 1980–1981 bronze on green marble YORAG : 1501 York Art Gallery York, England
Male Nude 1970–1987 bronze YORAG : 1421 York Art Gallery York, England
Ram's Head c.1975 bronze S155 Beecroft Art Gallery Southend-on-Sea, England
Wall Lizard 1975–1985 bronze YORAG : 1422 York Art Gallery York, England

References

  1. "We have details today about the funeral for Sally Arnup". Pyramid Gallery. January 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  2. "Sally Arnup". 108 Fine Art. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  3. Willis, Joe (20 November 2019). "Work by celebrated sculptor to go on display in Leyburn". Richmondshire Today. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  4. David Buckman (2006). Artists in Britain Since 1945 Vol 1, A to L. Art Dictionaries Ltd. ISBN 0-953260-95-X.
  5. Mike Laycock (13 July 2017). "Sculpture by the late Sally Arnup gifted to York Art Gallery". York Press. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  6. "Sally Arnup". HerStoryYork. 9 February 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  7. Mark Foster (28 December 2015). "Death of renowned animal artist". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  8. "Still life? not for this artist". www.yorkshirepost.co.uk. 7 March 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  9. The Blake Gallery. "Sally Arnup". www.blakegallery.com. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  10. Alan Windsor (2003). British Sculptors of the Twentieth Century. Ashgate. ISBN 1-85928-4566.
  11. Hutchinson, Charles (6 July 2017). "Final exhibition and sale of Sally and Mick Arnup's work on show at The Studios in Holtby". York Press. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  12. "Upcoming Highlights of Northern Art". Tennants Auctioneers. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  13. "Sally Arnup". HerStoryYork. 9 February 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.