How Long to Read The Art of Doris Hatt

How Long Does it Take to Read The Art of Doris Hatt?

It takes the average reader 3 hours and 13 minutes to read The Art of Doris Hatt by Denys J. Wilcox

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

Doris Hatt (1890-1969) was one of the most distinctive and advanced artists working in the west country during the first half of the twentieth-century. Born in 1890 and from a well-known and affluent Bath family, she received a privileged education in London, Vienna and Paris, studying in London at the Royal College of Art and at Goldsmith's College, but it was her visits to Paris in the early 1920s that were to inspire her artistic direction. Having initially been influenced by Paul & John Nash and the Romantic English landscape tradition - she was soon captivated by the modern Paris School, particularly the works of Braque, Léger and Picasso. She began exhibiting with the Clifton Arts Club in 1921 where fellow invited exhibitors included Wyndham Lewis and the Bloomsbury artists Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell. Even in this company the strength and quality of her paintings were quickly noticed prompting Albert Rutherston to write of her 'distinction' and her 'curiosity and conscience'. However it was the intoxicating atmosphere of Paris during the 1920s with its euphoric optimism for the speed and dynamism of the new machine age that was to have the most profound impact on her life and work. Hatt first visited Paris in 1920 and was drawn to the works of the modern Paris School painters. Returning to Clevedon in the early 1920s she opened her studio once a week offering free art classes to locals in her desire to educate and open minds to the new developments in art. She delivered regular public talks on art in a brave attempt to communicate her ideas to a wider public as she did not want to 'live in a vacuum' and feel isolated from her community. During the 1930s a family inheritance enabled her to commission the building of a starkly modern house and studio according to Bauhaus principles where she lived and worked with her life-long partner, the weaver Margery Mack Smith. Her home became a centre for radical activity both in art and politics and was a meeting place for like-minded people throughout the region. Her Sunday parties became legendary - the regular gathering of her communist friends caused a stir amongst Clevedon's 'polite' and predominantly conservative society. Hatt developed a painting style that was meticulous in its planning and execution. Her great mantra being 'to simplify and at the same time intensify' with her guiding aim to present only the essential elements in her compositions whilst rigorously discarding all that was superfluous to the intended design. In her own words this disciplined process meant that 'order' had 'been brought out of chaos - that life after all is not so difficult as it seems. This will give you a sense of power and well being as you study the picture.' Yet as her friend and supporter Professor Peter Millard observed - 'There was nothing brutal about Doris's paintings, nothing raw. It is typical of English artists to take an international style, and then to soften and lyricize it, giving it an essentially English sensitivity.' Indeed there is a strong Romanticism in Doris Hatt's work which pays homage to the ancient traditions of painting. A highly political feminist, Hatt became a member of the Independent Labour Party soon after the First World War, but in response to the rise of Fascism during the early 1930s she joined the Communist Party in 1935 and was a tireless activist even standing for election as a Communist candidate in Clevedon during the 1946 and '47 local elections. She began her election leaflet with the following statements: I believe that Clevedon Council cannot be representative of the majority of the Clevedon people unless there is an increase of Councillors with working-class sympathies. I think also that Women should be represented on the Council. At present there are no Women Councillors. According to Professor Millard, 'Doris Hatt's communism was gentle and kind, and suffused with solid middle-class virtues.' Her political passions were guided by an empathy for others and a belief in fairness and equality - these were essentially humanitarian concerns with the noblest of intentions. She was also widely and affectionately known in Clevedon for her regular visits round the local pubs selling the Daily Worker and she remained staunchly loyal to the Communist cause right up to her death in 1969. In the light of Picasso's membership of the Communist Party, she was formally invited by the Soviet Embassy as the Communist representative to the opening preview of the great Picasso exhibition at the Tate Gallery, London in 1960.Much honoured by the invitation, she attended the private view dressed in traditional Spanish costume, borrowing a long black dress and wearing an old mantilla leading the the press to believe that she was a relative of the great artist. During the last twenty years of her life Hatt divided her time between Clevedon and her partner's cottage in Watchet and these two places provided many of the subjects for her paintings and coloured linocuts. Every year she would travel abroad favouring destinations in the South of France and Spain and she often stopped off in Paris to keep abreast of the very latest developments. Her paintings gained acceptance in Paris and she exhibited regularly at Galerie Zak and her work was favourably reviewed in La Revue Moderne. Although she was a prolific exhibitor in the South West, particularly at the RWA and the Clifton Arts Club, she was never inclined to secure a regular London dealer and perhaps as a result of this she is not as widely known today as she deserves to be. She lived a courageous and inspirational life, full of passion, commitment and individuality which is richly evident in her powerful, life-affirming, paintings.

How long is The Art of Doris Hatt?

The Art of Doris Hatt by Denys J. Wilcox is 192 pages long, and a total of 48,384 words.

This makes it 65% the length of the average book. It also has 59% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read The Art of Doris Hatt Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 4 hours and 24 minutes to read The Art of Doris Hatt aloud.

What Reading Level is The Art of Doris Hatt?

The Art of Doris Hatt is suitable for students ages 10 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

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