Norah Neilson Gray
Encyclopedia
Norah Neilson Gray was a British
artist of the Glasgow School
. She was a member of The Glasgow Girls whose paintings were exhibited in Kirkcudbright
in July and August 2010.
in 1882 to George Gray, a Glasgow ship owner, and his wife, Norah Neilson. She was first privately taught by two local art teachers. Gray and her family then moved to Glasgow in 1901 so she could attend the Glasgow School of Art
for the next six years. She trained under the Belgian Jean Delville
and Fra. Newberry. Eventually she taught drawing and design to students at the school.
Gray also taught at St. Columba's in Kilmacolm
which at the time was a girl's school. Miss Gray was said to have been nicknamed "Purple Patch", because of her insistence that colours could be seen in shadows if you looked correctly.
Gray was exhibiting by 1910 and had her own studio where she painted portraits. During the first world war Gray volunteered as a nurse and was sent to France where she found time to paint and sketch.
A painting Hôpital Auxilaire 1918 from that time was offered to the Imperial War Museum
but the budget was exhausted. The painting shows the vaulted thirteenth century Royaumont Abbaye
, near Paris, where women had organised a hospital to treat the casualties of the war. The hospital was staffed by Scottish Women's Hospitals, under the direction of the French Red Cross.
In 1920, Gray painted for the Imperial War Museum, but Hôpital Auxilaire 1918 had to wait for the 1978 bequest of her sister, Tina, who left it to Helensburgh on the condition that a permanent place be found to exhibit it. The painting now hangs in the town's library.
In 1921 and 1923 she was given a medal for her painting, The Belgian in Exile which she had completed in 1915. That picture shows a Belgian refugee from Liege
who had fled to Scotland after his country was invaded. Gray was chosen to be the first woman to join the influential hanging committee of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts
.
Gray died in Glasgow
at the age of 48 in 1931 of cancer.
. Gray's paintings were included in the exhibition in Kirkcudbright Town Hall.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
artist of the Glasgow School
Glasgow School
The Glasgow School was a circle of influential modern artists and designers who began to coalesce in Glasgow, Scotland in the 1870s, and flourished from the 1890s to sometime around 1910. Representative groups were: The Four , the Glasgow Girls and the Glasgow Boys...
. She was a member of The Glasgow Girls whose paintings were exhibited in Kirkcudbright
Kirkcudbright
Kirkcudbright, is a town in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.The town lies south of Castle Douglas and Dalbeattie, in the part of Dumfries and Galloway known as the Stewartry, at the mouth of the River Dee, some six miles from the sea...
in July and August 2010.
Biography
Gray was born at Carisbrook on West King Street in HelensburghHelensburgh
Helensburgh is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Firth of Clyde and the eastern shore of the entrance to the Gareloch....
in 1882 to George Gray, a Glasgow ship owner, and his wife, Norah Neilson. She was first privately taught by two local art teachers. Gray and her family then moved to Glasgow in 1901 so she could attend the Glasgow School of Art
Glasgow School of Art
Glasgow School of Art is one of only two independent art schools in Scotland, situated in the Garnethill area of Glasgow.-History:It was founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design. In 1853, it changed its name to The Glasgow School of Art. Initially it was located at 12 Ingram...
for the next six years. She trained under the Belgian Jean Delville
Jean Delville
Jean Delville was a Belgian symbolist painter, writer, and occultist. In 1896, he founded the Salon d’Art Idealiste, which is considered the Belgian equivalent to the Parisian Rose & Cross Salon and the Pre-Raphaelite movement in London.-Quotes:-Delville's background:During the last decades of...
and Fra. Newberry. Eventually she taught drawing and design to students at the school.
Gray also taught at St. Columba's in Kilmacolm
Kilmacolm
Kilmacolm is a village and civil parish in the Inverclyde council area and the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on the northern slope of the Gryffe Valley south-east of Greenock and around west of the city of Glasgow...
which at the time was a girl's school. Miss Gray was said to have been nicknamed "Purple Patch", because of her insistence that colours could be seen in shadows if you looked correctly.
Gray was exhibiting by 1910 and had her own studio where she painted portraits. During the first world war Gray volunteered as a nurse and was sent to France where she found time to paint and sketch.
A painting Hôpital Auxilaire 1918 from that time was offered to the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
but the budget was exhausted. The painting shows the vaulted thirteenth century Royaumont Abbaye
Royaumont Abbey
Royaumont Abbey was a Cistercian abbey, located near Asnières-sur-Oise in Val-d'Oise, approximately 30 km north of Paris, France.-History:It was built between 1228 and 1235 with the support of Louis IX...
, near Paris, where women had organised a hospital to treat the casualties of the war. The hospital was staffed by Scottish Women's Hospitals, under the direction of the French Red Cross.
In 1920, Gray painted for the Imperial War Museum, but Hôpital Auxilaire 1918 had to wait for the 1978 bequest of her sister, Tina, who left it to Helensburgh on the condition that a permanent place be found to exhibit it. The painting now hangs in the town's library.
In 1921 and 1923 she was given a medal for her painting, The Belgian in Exile which she had completed in 1915. That picture shows a Belgian refugee from Liege
Liege
Liège is a municipality and a city of Belgium. The term Liège or Liege may also refer to:* Liege, a party to the oath of allegiance in feudalism .* Liège Island, in the Antarctic...
who had fled to Scotland after his country was invaded. Gray was chosen to be the first woman to join the influential hanging committee of the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts
Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts
The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts is an independent organisation in Glasgow, founded in 1861, which promotes contemporary art and artists in Scotland. It is the third largest organization of its kind in the United Kingdom...
.
Gray died in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
at the age of 48 in 1931 of cancer.
Legacy
Gray's paintings are in several national collections. From June to August 2010 there was an exhibition of the Glasgow Girls who together with the boys made up the Glasgow SchoolGlasgow School
The Glasgow School was a circle of influential modern artists and designers who began to coalesce in Glasgow, Scotland in the 1870s, and flourished from the 1890s to sometime around 1910. Representative groups were: The Four , the Glasgow Girls and the Glasgow Boys...
. Gray's paintings were included in the exhibition in Kirkcudbright Town Hall.