Annie Swynnerton: a talk by Rebecca Milner

The first retrospective exhibition of Annie Swynnerton’s work for many years has recently opened at Manchester City Art Gallery: Rebecca Milner is the Curator for Fine Art who has put the exhibition together. will talk about Annie Swynnerton

The artist Annie Swynnerton was born in 1844 in Hulme: she trained at the Manchester School of Art and went on to study abroad in Rome and Paris. In 1879, she founded the Manchester Society of Women Painters with her friend & fellow artist Susan Dacre, with whom she shared a studio. Annie painted a huge range of subjects and particularly enjoyed painting real women – what she called ‘the strong female gaze’. She was a committed feminist and suffragist all her life and in 1922, became the first elected woman member of the Royal Academy of Arts. Her portraits are extraordinarily accomplished and the one she painted of the Rev. William Gaskell has been borrowed  for the duration of the exhibition from Elizabeth Gaskell’s House. This talk is sure to be of interest  to members of the Gaskell Society, but, as always, everyone is welcome to come  the talk

Doors open at 12.15 pm. so that anyone who wishes can bring a  packed lunch or purchase it at one of the nearby sandwich shops. The chapel provides tea and coffee for a small donation  All are welcome.  Fee: £3 members, £4 non-members