The Artistry of Averil Burleigh
Averil Mary Burleigh was a British painter and illustrator born in Hassocks, West Sussex. She studied at the Brighton School of Art and lived and worked in Hove and Sussex alongside her husband, the painter Charles Burleigh. Her artistic practice was characterized by a specialization in egg tempera, though she also utilized chalk and watercolour to express her vision. Her works often featured a bright color palette with contrasting tones designed to lead the viewer's eye through the composition, often centered around a prominent female figure. Many of these figures were modeled after her daughter, Veronica Burleigh.
Throughout her career, Burleigh's style evolved from a Pre-Raphaelite manner into a freer approach. Her notable achievements include:
Exhibitions and Recognition
Burleigh was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy in London between 1912 and 1945, where she showed a series of seventeen tempera paintings between 1930 and 1935. Her work was also presented at various prestigious venues, including the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh, the Society of Women Artists, the New English Art Club, the Royal Cambrian Academy, the Sussex Women's Art Club, the Walker Art Gallery, and the Paris Salon. In 1939, she became a member of the Royal Society of Painters in Watercolours, and shortly before her death in 1949, she was elected an associate of the Royal Watercolour Society.
