Royal Female School of Art

The Royal Female School of Art was a professional institution for the training of women in fine art. It was founded in 1842, as part of the Government School of Design, predecessor of the Royal College of Art. When that moved from Somerset House to South Kensington in 1858, the female branch was physically split away to a different site, though remaining part of the main institution, until 1909 when it was transferred to the control of London County Council, initially via the Central School of Art and Design (now part of the University of the Arts London), with which it was merged from 1914.[1]

Life class at the Royal Female School of Art, 1868

It was known by several names and was housed in Queen Square and Gower Street.[2]

Other names

References can be found to a number of names, including: School of Design for Females, Female School of Design, Gower Street School, Metropolitan School of Art for Females, Royal Female School of Art, Queen Square School of Art, Royal Female School of Art, Government School of Art for Ladies.[3]

Notable students and faculty

• Clotilde Graves
• Fanny McIan, superintendent 1842–1857
• Dinah Craik
• Maud Earl
• Elizabeth Thompson, Lady Butler
• Helen Allingham
• Anthony Thorold, president 1861
• Evelyn Cheston

The Royal Female School of Art Foundation continues to work to support students accessing art education.[4]

Notes

1. UCL
2. UCL
3. UCL
4. "Trustees - Royal Female School of Art Foundation". 2019-09-15.

References

• "Mapping": Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951
• "UCL": "UCL Bloomsbury Project". www.ucl.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-05-15.

Further reading

• Royal Female School of Art History
• Chalmers, F. Graeme (1995). "Fanny McIan and London's Female School of Design, 1842-57: "My Lords and Gentlemen, Your Obedient and Humble Servant"?". Woman's Art Journal. 16 (2): 3–9. doi:10.2307/1358568