Dorothy Hepworth - Art for Sale

Dorothy Hepworth (1898 – 1978) was a British painter who studied at the Slade School of Fine Art from 1917 to 1919, where she met her life partner Patricia Preece. They remained together even after Preece's marriage to painter Stanley Spencer.

Dorothy Hepworth was a shy individual and didn't warm to public attention. As such Preece signed many of Hepworth's paintings under Hepworth's approval. As stated by Michael Dickens - 'The two women not only deceived the Bloomsbury artists, but also other notables in the art world, including Augustus John.'

After returning from living in Paris for four years, Hepworth and Preece became part of the Bloomsbury circle. Hepworth had her works displayed at the Royal Academy during her time at the Slade, in 1928 at the Dorathy Warren Gallery and in 1936 at the Lefeuvre.

Hepworth continued to sign her paintings under the name of Preece even after Preece's death in 1968 and continued to paint up to her death in 1978. A studio sale of Hepworth’s work was held at Christie’s in 1984 and in 1991 Bloomsbury Workshop held a retrospective exhibition of her paintings and drawings.