Oil painting -> List of Painters -> Anne Dunn

ANNE DUNN:

Anne Dunn (born September 4, 1929) was born in London to a distinguished family-- her father, Sir James Dunn, was a Canadian steel magnate, and her mother, Irene Clarice Richards, had a background in musical comedy. Despite her high-profile family background, Dunn pursued a career in the arts, which led her to become a part of the School of London, a loose grouping of painters who focused on figurative and expressive painting in contrast to the more dominant trends of abstraction and modernism at the time.

The School of London, which emerged in the post-war period, includes notable figures such as Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, and R.A. (Ronald) Kitaj. This group of artists was characterized by their emotional depth and a return to figuration, often incorporating a psychological realism in their portraits and self-portraits. Anne Dunn's works also reflected these tendencies, capturing the human form with intense emotional depth and a raw honesty in her portrayal of subjects.

Dunn's involvement with the School of London suggests that her work may have dealt with themes of human vulnerability, existential struggle, and identity. Her relationship with the figurative traditions of this group would have involved exploring the human condition through both traditional and contemporary techniques, blending realism with expressive, sometimes distorted forms. Like other members of the School of London, Dunn may have focused on psychological portraiture and depicted figures in intimate, sometimes confrontational ways.

Though she may not have achieved the same level of fame as some of her male counterparts in the movement, Anne Dunn's work would have been part of the broader conversation about figurative painting in Britain during the 20th century. Her background as the daughter of Sir James Dunn, a prominent Canadian businessman, likely provided her with certain opportunities and access to cultural circles, which may have influenced her career in the arts.

Given the limited detailed public information, it's possible that Anne Dunn's works were more personal or perhaps exhibited in specific galleries or exhibitions during her active years. In summary, while Anne Dunn may not have achieved widespread recognition like some other School of London artists, her connection to this movement places her within an important period in British painting, one that valued the return to human-centered, figurative art following the abstract movements of the early 20th century.

Career:

Her first solo show was held at the Leicester Galleries of London in 1957, with succeeding shows being held in 1959, 1960, 1962, and 1964. Subsequently her major exhibitions took place in New York with shows at the Fischbach Gallery in 1967, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1989. In 1990 she held a solo show at the Christopher Hull Gallery in London. Her latest solo show was in 2005 at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery in New York.

Works of  Anne Dunn: