Eileen Alice Soper RMS SWLA (British, 1905-1990) |
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Eileen Soper was born in Enfield, Middlesex and later moved to Welwyn,
Hertfordshire with her family where she lived for the rest of her life.
She was educated at home and was taught by her father George Soper who
was an engraver, etcher and illustrator. She produced etchings as young
girl (two were accepted by the Royal Academy when she was just 15 years
old). Her work was exhibited widely and after the death of her father,
Soper and her sister continued to maintain the Wildlife sanctuary he
had created. Indeed, much of her subjects were drawn there and she produced
several books on animals from the sanctuary, When Badgers Wake,
1955 and Muntjac, 1969 a study on the small Asian deer
that lived there (see illustrations below.) Later in her career she
produced numerous illustrations for magazines and illustrated over 35
Enid Blyton titles for children. Eileen Soper was a founder member of
the SWLA, she was elected RMS in 1972.
Provenance: the Estate of the artist
References: Horne. The Dictionary of Twentieth Century British
Book Illustrators, p. 395. Wanderers of the Field (1959),
Muntjac (1969).
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The Toy Owl
Watercolour over pencil on paper
15 x 12.5 cm. (image) £375 (framed)
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Playing bricks with Owl
Watercolour over pencil on paper
12.5 x 14.5 cm. (image) £375 (framed)
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Baby
Charcoal and wash on board
signed
estate stamp to reverse
20 x 20 cm. (image) £320 (within mount)
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Colin
Watercolour over pencil on paper
1940
signed, titled and dated by the artist
20 x 25 cm. (image)
SOLD
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Leap Frog
Pen and ink on paper
7.5 x 18 cm. (image) £375 (framed)
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Skipping
Etching on wove paper
signed
13.5 x 18.5 cm. (image)
Ref: recorded in The Catalogue Raisonné of the etchings of
George and Eileen Soper (1995) no: 14 £350
(framed)
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The Slide
Etching on wove paper
signed
14.5 x 21 cm. (image)
Ref: recorded in The Catalogue Raisonné of the etchings of
George and Eileen Soper (1995) no: 117 £420
(framed)
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Studies of Children
recto and verso
pen and ink on paper
18.5 x 16 cm. (sheet) £175 (within
mount)
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Girl reading with additional head studies of Children
pencil on paper
26 x 20 cm. (sheet)
SOLD
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The Checked Pinafore
pencil on paper
25.5 x 19.5 cm. (sheet)
SOLD
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The Note Book
sketch of a baby with a toy to reverse
Watercolour over pencil on paper
26 x 21.5 cm. (sheet)
SOLD
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Seated Girl (Studies); additional study of a small boy to
reverse
Pencil on paper
16.5 x 23 cm. (sheet)
SOLD
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Squirrel
pen and ink over pencil
signed with initials
10.5 x 13.5 cm. (sheet)
SOLD
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Muntjac
conté crayon on paper
inscribed 'Chap 1 P.6' in pencil
15 x 19.5 cm. (sheet)
SOLD
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Study of a deer with additional studies of a
fox cub and fawns to reverse
Watercolour on paper
19 x 29.5 cm. (sheet)
SOLD
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Muntjac
conté crayon on paper inscribed 'Chap 9 P.100'
14.5 x 18.3 cm. (sheet)
£95 (within mount) |
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Deer of secret ways
pencil and watercolour on board
signed and annotated by the artist
20 x 21 cm. (sheet)
SOLD
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Scottie dog with sketch of woman on bicycle
to reverse
Pen and ink on paper
18.3 x 14 cm. (sheet)
SOLD
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Head Studies (terrier)
Pencil on paper
25.5 x 19cm. (sheet)
SOLD
Two studies of a terrier, presumably the artist's own dog who features
in some of her work.
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Fox Cubs
preliminary study for dust-jacket of Wanderers of the Field (1959)
conté crayon on paper, signed
27.5 x 21.5 cm. (sheet)
SOLD
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Studies of Fox Cubs
pencil on paper
29 x 23 cm. (sheet)
SOLD
The present studies of fox cubs at play are similar to those illustrated
in Ch 1 'The Little Foxes' in Eileen Soper's book Wild Favours (1963).
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