Freda Skinner

Freda Skinner (31 January 1911 – 19 July 1993) was a British sculptor and woodcarver who was head of sculpture at Wimbledon School of Art from 1945 to 1971.

Skinner was born in Limpsfield, Surrey, where her father had a farm; she showed an early interest in art with paintings of a prized Champion Devon Red bull and a cow.[1] She studied under Henry Moore and Alan Durst at The Royal College of Art, her course fees being met, in part, by neighbours including Ethel and Sybil Pye.[2] She then went on to teach toy making and sculpture at Kingston School of Art,[3] and was head of sculpture at Wimbledon School of Art 1945 to 1971.

She was a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors and a member of the Society of Portrait Sculptors.[2]

Her 1972 sculpture Virgin and Child is in the Lady Chapel of St Elphege's Church, Wallington, south London.[2] She also carved the foundation stone for the Barbican Art Centre in central London, in 1972.[2] She exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition six times.[4]

In 1993 there was a retrospective exhibition of her work at the Bruton Street Gallery in central London. Two of her jigsaw works for Abbatt Toys are held in the V&A.[5][6][7]

In 1944 she was recorded living at The Ivy House, French Street, Sunbury-on-Thames, then at 79 Deodar Road, Putney, from about 1946 to about 1967; she may also have lived at No 35.[4] She moved to Wiltshire in 1987 and died in West Amesbury, Wiltshire on 19 July 1993.[2]

Madonna and Child
Stations of the Cross XII, St John the Divine, Richmond
The Spirit of Youth
Winged angel, Battersea

Works exhibited at the Royal Academy
YearTitleType [8]
1938HorseBronze statue
1944A Berthel, Esq.Head, terra-cotta
1951JanaBust, terra-cotta
1952MariannaHead, Bronze
1960Mrs HoffmanHead, ciment fondu
1963Child with an appleHalf-figure, concrete
1967HorseBronze
1989HarlequinBronze (edition of 10)

Selected works
TypeLocationDateNote
Madonna and ChildSt Thomas More Church, Dulwich1933[9][10]
War MemorialSt Mary's Church, Battersea1949[11][12]
Rood CrossSt Francis of Assisi Church, Isleworth1957[13]
Stations of the CrossSt John the Divine, Richmond1955–1970
The Risen ChristSt Paul's Church, Lorrimore Square1960[14]
The Spirit of YouthRoundwood Park, Willesden

Originally installed in 1966 outside the new indoor pool at Willesden Lido.

 1966[15][16]
Virgin and ChildSt Elphege's Church, Wallington, London1972
Foundation StoneBarbican Arts Centre1972
Plaque and Coat of ArmsBarbican Arts Centre1982
Cromwell DebatesSt Mary's Church, Putney1982


Bibliography
  • Woodcarving (1961) New York: Sterling Pub. Co ISBN 1163825581

References
  1. Bromell, Hugo (1 December 2020). "Prized Pair Come to Charterhouse". Charterhouse Auctioneers.
  2. Mitchell, Sheila (30 July 1993). "Obituary: Freda Skinner". The Independent. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  3. Mulholland, Richard (2 August 2012). "Conserving the British Toy Making Archive". British Toy Making.
  4. "Miss Freda N. Skinner – Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851–1951". sculpture.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  5. "Dalmation". V and A Collections. 16 December 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  6. "Mariners". V and A Collections. 16 December 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2018.
  7. "Paul and Marjorie Abbatt Ltd". V&A Museum of Childhood.
  8. "Exhibition catalogues (8)". Royal Academy.
  9. Evinson, Denis (1998). Catholic Churches of London. A&C Black. p. 209.
  10. "Dulwich – St Thomas More". Taking Stock: Catholic Churches of England & Wales.
  11. "The Memorial". Times [London, England]. 12 December 1949. p. 10 – via The Times Digital Archive.
  12. "St Marys Church WW1 And WW2". Imperial War Museum. 20 February 2015.
  13. "St Francis Of Assisi: History". St Francis of Assisi Church, Isleworth.
  14. Cherry, Bridget; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1983). London 2: South. Yale University Press. p. 577.
  15. "The Spirit of Youth by Freda Skinner". The Willesden Herald. 13 May 2012.
  16. Green Jessel, Anne. "Willesden – King Edwards Pool VII – 1911+ Indoor pool 1966". Finding Lidos – Dive into Lost Lidos.
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