Dorothea Sharp (1874-1955)

Dorothea Sharp was born in Kent 1874. Sharp attended Richmond art school in London before travelling to Paris where she was heavily influenced by the work of the French impressionists and in particular Claude Monet. In 1903 she became an Associate of the Society of Women Artists and in 1908 a full member going on to serve as vice-president for 4 years. She was elected a member of the Royal Society of British Artists in 1907 and the Royal Institute of Oil Painters in 1922. Sharp enjoyed many exhibitions at The Royal Academy between 1901-1948 and held her first one-woman show at the Connell Gallery in 1933. During the 1920s and 1930s Sharp travelled to Europe to paint, and also to St Ives, Cornwall, where she met fellow artist Marcella Smith, who became a lifelong friend. Sharp was made an honorary member of the St. Ives Society of Artists in 1928.