Mark Senior: His Family & Friends - A Talk by Andrew Clay - The Garden Rooms at Tennants

A rare group of vibrant British Impressionist paintings relating to the flourishing artistic communities at Staithes and Fylingdales in North Yorkshire are coming up for sale at Tennants Auctioneers on 12th July, offered as part of the British, European and Sporting Art Sale. Having been in the hands of the same family since their execution, the collection comprises works by renowned artists Florence Hess and her mentor Mark Senior.

Andrew Clay is one of the great, great grandchildren of Mark Senior (1864-1927), one of the most celebrated members of the Staithes School of Art. Andrew spent many childhood holidays at Seniors summer home in Runswick Bay, where the memories of idyllic Edwardian days sketching and painting came vividly to life in his imagination.

In this talk, Andrew will examine the work of Senior and his contemporaries, as they breathed new life into British art. The Staithes School artists were greatly inspired by the French Impressionists, working en plein air to capture fleeting moments of light, air, and water. Reacting against the 19th century art establishment, which focused on staid academic realism, the Staithes artists looked to depict snapshots of contemporary life amongst the fishing communities on the North Yorkshire Coast, with greater insight and informality.

Having such a close connection to Mark Senior, Andrew will also look beyond his art to his family life, and he will bring a different perspective to the work of Senior, his pupil Florence Hess, and their fellow Staithes artists during this fascinating era in the development of British art and society as a whole.

Timings & Tickets
2pm talk begins
3pm approx. finish time
Free admission