Douglas Bliss and Phyllis Dodd, and the Blackheath School of Art
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| Cover of the Fleece Press Prospectus for Gargoyles and Tattie Boggles: The Lives and Work of Douglas Percy Bliss and Phyllis Dodd, 2017. Courtesy of Simon Lawrence, Fleece Press.
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It is perhaps the perfect time to
focus on two of my favourite artists from the Blackheath School of Art of the
1930’s. I have decided that it’s time to write this entry ahead of the
publication of the exciting tome focusing on the Bliss family of artists by
Simon Lawrence’s Fleece Press written by Malcolm Yorke due to be released in
September 2017: (more about this exciting book here) Planned to coincide with the release of the book there is an exhibition being
put on by Liss Llewellyn Fine Art. Having enjoyed the WW2: War Pictures by
British Artists exhibition at the Morley Gallery recently (more about the exhibition here) and the stellar research Sacha Llewellyn put together in curating the Winifred
Knights exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery - (more about the exhibition); it is an incredibly exciting chance for Bliss and Dodd to be reappraised and
also gain the wider appreciation that their work certainly deserves. Recently I
had the pleasure of meeting their daughters Prudence and Rosalind to show them
around the Conservatoire (see above).[1]
Works by Phyllis Dodd may linger in recent memories for some people as a
photograph she took of Ravilious is in the Fry Art Gallery, Saffron Walden, and
Nicola Sturgeon chose an image of Dodd’s as the Scottish parliament’s Christmas
card in 2014 which was widely reported by various media outlets.[2]
I am not sure that I can add
anything extra to the early lives of Douglas Percy Bliss and Phyllis Dodd that
has been published recently and that will also appear in the forthcoming
Malcolm Yorke tome. Suffice it to say that Bliss was close friends with both
Edward Bawden and Eric Ravilious, having met at the Royal College of Arts in
1922.[3]
At the RCA they took architecture classes together and were also taught by
part-time tutor and artist Paul Nash.[4]
The intake of new students for that year included, in addition to Bliss, Bawden
and Ravilious many artists who would become well known in the history of British
Art.[5]
The three also became junior members of the Art Worker’s Guild having been
signed up by Robert Anning Bell in 1924.[6]
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| Douglas Bliss, Edgar Allen Poe: Some Tales of Mystery and Imagination cover, 1939. Collection of the author. |
In 1925 Bliss’ first book
illustrations were published in Border Ballads by Oxford University Press.[7] At the RCA Bliss must have been aware of his
future wife Phyllis Dodd who was in the year above, they later became closer
and married in 1928. In the collection of the Conservatoire there are two
original handwritten letters by Douglas Bliss. They were responses to letters
written by Neil Rhind. Rhind had written to a number of former students and
teachers prior to the school’s reopening in 1983. We can be thankful that Bliss
was one of the few teachers still alive when the school re-opened in the early
1980’s and the letters provide an insight into the school in the 1930’s.
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| Douglas Bliss, They Visit a Hermit, illustration from The History of Rasselas: Prince of Abisinnia, 1925, p. 70. Collection of the author. |
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| Eric Ravilious, Church Under a Hill, illustration from Bliss' A History of Wood Engraving, 1928, p. 243. Collection of the author. |
Bliss taught book illustration
and decoration, and wood engraving on Monday afternoons and evenings. In his
letters Bliss refers to working at the school, and also filling in when needed
in addition to his regular classes, because he lived nearby at 38 Lee Park
having moved to Blackheath in 1932.[8]
Bliss provided illustrations for many books including Edgar Allan Poe’s Some Tales of Mystery and Imagination, The Devil in Scotland, The Spanish Ladie by Cervantes, Rasselas Prince of Abyssinia, and had
even written an extensive book on the history of wood engraving published in
1928. In 1925 he lived with Ravilious creating illustrations for Samuel Johnson’s
The History of Rasselas: Prince of Abisinnia,
whilst Ravilious illustrated Martin Armstrong’s Desert.[9] In
this volume Bliss included an illustration of Ravilious’ Church Under a Hill on page 243 (above) along with images by his
RCA teacher Nash.
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| Douglas Bliss, Lachrymae Rerum, wood engraving, 1925. Collection of the author. |
He was best known for his wood
engravings before the outbreak of World War II. Sadly the family was forced to
move out of Blackheath following bombings in the area, moving to Uxbridge to
join the RAF.[10]
Whilst away their house in Lee Park was broken into and many of his engraving
blocks were either destroyed or stolen. Thankfully prints from this period,
before the war, do survive and one such example is Lachrymae Rerum (above). The title comes from the Aeneid written by
Virgil before 19BC. It refers to tears for things past bringing a sense of hope
and optimism for the future.
Whilst in Blackheath Bliss became
increasingly concerned about the future of the built environment in Blackheath.
Joining forces with Roger Martin he formed the Blackheath Society in 1937 in order
to protect the natural beauty of the village and its surrounds. The
Conservatoire still has an original membership form (see above).[11]
Bliss’ concern for heritage preservation continued with his efforts to rekindle
appreciation for Charles Rennie Mackintosh when he was Director of the Glasgow
School of Art in the 1940’s.[12]
In his letters Bliss referred to
some of his colleagues at the school including Charles Paine, James Woodford,
Frederick Austin and the principal John Edgar Platt. He was greatly impressed
by the work of James Woodford and later heaped praise on Woodford’s magnificent
Queen’s Beasts carved for the Coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953.[13]
Bliss also mentioned one of his students Beryl Laverick who had made an
impression on him. This was the subject of my previous entry and I won’t go
into detail here (see below entry). Bliss also remembered that the school,
despite its small size was seen to be a success and wrote in response to the
news of the planned re-opening:
‘It was a good little school and
served a useful and agreeable purpose. Although possibly the smallest of LCC
schools of art it was much approved by officialdom and deserves to be brought
into being again.’[14]
Bliss goes on to add further
detail about the students at the school by concluding that; ‘I sincerely
believe that the old school justified its existence in its own day…’[15]
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| Phyllis Dodd, Portrait of Mrs Martin, mid 1930's. On loan to the Conservatoire from the Bliss family.
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Detail from photograph of Conservatoire Student's Party 29 February 1936. Mrs Martin is the woman in black and white dress.
Collection of the Conservatoire.
A couple of years ago the
charismatic leader of the Conservatoire and the main reason why I became so
interested in the history of the school, Sydney Thornbury, hung an interesting
portrait of an older woman on the wall in her office. It looked like it came
from the 1930’s and the signature at the top left, in capital letters, ‘P DODD’
gave me something to work with. I quickly discovered that the painting was by
Phyllis Dodd. The portrait features bold brushstrokes depicting the features of the sitter, her clothing and jewellery (including necklace and ring). Initially I thought that the portrait was of Lady Robertson, who
was one of the board members of BSA in 1930’s; however thanks to both Neil
Rhind, and Simon Lawrence via Dodd’s daughters, Rosalind and Prudence Bliss, I
have since been reliably informed that the portrait is of Mrs Martin. Mrs Martin
was the mother of Roger Martin, the co-founder of the Blackheath Society, with
Douglas Bliss in 1937. A photograph of a student party at the Conservatoire
dated 29 February 1936 features a woman who looks very like Mrs Martin. Dressed
in a dark coloured dress with white highlights her hair is pulled back tightly
and she is wearing a black necklace very similar to the one in Dodd’s portrait
(see above). The painting now hangs proudly in the Waiting Room of the
Conservatoire alongside works by previous students and teachers from the art
school.
We assume that this is the
painting referred to in the meeting minutes from December 1984 as currently
there is only one portrait at the Conservatoire by Phyllis Dodd. This was generously
loaned to the Conservatoire in December 1984 by the Bliss family. Two paintings
were brought to the Conservatoire at this time but unfortunately there is no
record of the portrait of Beryl Laverick, which was the subject of my previous
blog (see below for more info), in the meeting minutes of the Blackheath School
of Art at this time. Unfortunately I have not yet been able to find any trace
of it.[16]
The portrait of Mrs Martin was displayed on the wall of the Principal’s Office.[17]
When the School of Art reopened
in the early 1980’s it was decided that a scholarship was to be introduced in
honour of Douglas Bliss’ tenure as a teacher. Regrettably I have not yet found
any information regarding who was awarded the scholarship or how long it was
available for. There is a note in the archives that ‘Mrs Bliss had agreed
enthusiastically to a scholarship in her husband’s memory’.[18]
It was a well-considered gesture which ensured that the legacy of the school
pre 1940 continued into its new incarnation following its re-opening in 1983.
[1]
The Conservatoire and Blackheath School of Art merged in 1991. Prudence and
Rosalind Bliss visited on 25 May 2017. Thanks to Martin Murray for enabling me to display works relating to Bliss and his Blackheath contemporaries and for being such a fantastic host for afternoon tea.
[2]
Dodd’s photograph of Ravilious can be seen here - http://www.fryartgallery.org/the-collection/search-viewer/?searchID=632&retSearchType=word&retCollectionCount=36
The plan was for the print card to be sold through the National Galleries of
Scotland in time for Christmas 2015 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-30503075
[3] Bliss,
Douglas Percy, Edward Bawden, 1979, p. 18. Having earlier described his initial
period at the RCA and his friendship with Bawden as one he ‘greatly profited’
from Bliss wrote: ‘Looking back I regret that I had not been banished from the
Paradise of Painters (for we felt ourselves to be the Elect) into the Purgatory
of the Design School. For my two best friends were in Design. The other best
friend was Eric Ravilious.’
[4]
Nash taught Design at the Royal College of Art part-time in 1924 and 1925.
Russell, J. Ravilious: Exhibition Catalogue, London, 2015, p. 158. Nash and
Bawden looked forward to their lessons with Nash at the RCA calling Fridays
‘Paul Nash day.’ Robert Upstone on Teaching Art for the Modern Times: 175 Years
of Design at the RCA. RCA website - https://www.rca.ac.uk/more/our-history/175th-anniversary/175th-anniversary-interview-series-part3/
[5]
The other students enrolling in 1921 – 22 were Barbara Hepworth, Enid Marx,
Barnett Freedman, Henry Moore, Edward Burra, John Tunnard, Peggy Angus, Helen
Binyon, Raymond Coxon, Percy Houghton and Vivian Pitchforth. Cooke, G, A Breath
of Fresh Air: Eric Ravilious, Edward Bawden & Douglas Percy Bliss, Fine Art
Society, 2007, p. 5.
[6] Friend,
A, Ravilious & Co: The Pattern of Friendship, Towner Art Gallerey, 2017, p.
45. During a visit to the Art Worker’s Guild in relation to Harold Nelson I did
not come across any reference to Bliss as a full member of the Guild.
[7] It
was most likely Paul Nash who recommended Bliss show his woodcuts to the
publisher. Cooke, loc. cit., p. 43.
[8]
Lee Park, as many readers will know runs just off Lee Road. As revealed to me
by Prudence and Rosalind Bliss the house no longer exists as it was destroyed
in World War II.
[9]
Bliss and Ravilious shared a studio in their final year at the RCA, 1925 .
Bliss’ qualification from Edinburgh University included an MA in English
Literature and a medal in Art History. Cooke, loc. cit.
[10]
Letter 6 April 1981 – The very next day after he left Lee Park for good, Bliss
headed to Uxbridge to join the RAF.
[11] Letter
6 April 1981 - Bliss counted his friends and allies in conserving Blackheath
Village and surrounds as Roger Martin, Jack Bullocke, Phillip Wayne, Moir
Carnegie (who was also Secretary of the school), and William Davidge. The first
meeting of what became the Blackheath Society was held in Blackheath Halls.
[12]
Thanks to Lorne Campbell who mentioned that he referred to Bliss as ‘Percy’ when he knew of him in
Glasgow. It was quite some time after Lorne’s comment that I realised that the
Glasgow School of Art still refers to him as Percy as can be seen in the notes
regarding Dodd’s painting of Adam Gowans which was sadly destroyed in the fire
at the school in 2014 - https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/adam-gowans-138213
[13]
Rosalind and Prudence Bliss mentioned their father’s interest in the sculptures
during a recent visit to the Conservatoire on 25 May 2017. It was nice to be
able to reveal to them the fact that Bliss and Woodford were colleagues at the
school in 1931 may have contributed to his enthusiasm for the sculptures.
[14]
Letter 6 April 1981 – Bliss began the letter by saying how pleased he was to
hear the school was re-opening.
[15] ibid.
Bliss also revealed that most of the students of the school were ‘girls’ from
well-off middleclass families and were ‘quite an industrious crowd’.
[16]
The existence of this portrait only came to light from Simon Lawrence who
relayed a message from Prudence and Rosalind Bliss. Phyllis Dodd initially
offered the portrait to Laverick’s husband Reginal Maudling who declined it.
Instead Rosalind brought it to the Conservatoire to be displayed on long term
loan in memory of her husband along with the portrait of Mrs Martin. After
meeting with Prudence and Rosalind we have come to the conclusion that the
portrait of Beryl Laverick went missing before the meeting and that the
painting referred to in the Blackheath School of Art Committee Meeting Minutes of
12 December 1984 was Mrs Martin.
[17] Even
though there was no description of who the sitter was in the painting we must
assume for now that it was Mrs Martin that hung in the Principal’s office
(Blackheath School of Art Committee Meeting Minutes 11 March 1985). Interestingly
the word loan does not appear in this entry rather that the ‘painting, that had
been presented to the School of Art by Mrs Bliss…’ This does raise the question
of why there is no record of the portrait of Beryl Laverick arriving in
Blackheath as colleagues mentioned that the portrait of Mrs Martin hung in the
Art Building offices, most likely the Principal’s Office, before the building was
cleared in 2012 / 2013.
[18]
Blackheath School of Art Trustees Meeting, 3 July 1984, p. 4.
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