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Kate Bunce and Myra Bunce artists

Vivienne14

Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
Staff member
Not artists I've heard of before. From Wiki:

The daughters of John Thackray Bunce – a patron of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and editor of the Birmingham Post during its Liberal heyday.

Kate Bunce was born in Birmingham and educated at home. She studied at the Birmingham School of Art in the 1880s, first exhibiting artworks with the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists in 1874 and with the Royal Academy from 1887. She was elected as an associate of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists in 1888 and many of her works were displayed in a number of Birmingham churches.

Later influenced by Burne-Jones, Rossetti, and the Pre-Raphaelites, and was characterised by strong figure drawing and a clear use of colour. Later in her life she painted a series of decorative pieces in churches, often alongside metalwork by her sister Myra Bunce. Her reredos in the church of St Alban's, Bordesley features many species of birds. The blue plaque is on St Albans church wall.

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That's very interesting, I've not heard of them before either, lovely piece of work in the church.
I like the photo of the students, some arty looking types of the era - the guy in the centre with the moustache!
 
This is a description of the painting Melody (Musica) in Pedro's post #4. The sitter was Kate's sister Myra. Viv

Musica (Melody) by Kate Bunce
In this Pre-Raphaelite portrait, a young woman plays the lyre. Kate Bunce has painted her sister, Myra Bunce. Myra designed metalwork during the Arts and Crafts Movement led by William Morris. They were some of the first women to make a career out of art. If you look closely, you can see an inscription 'MUSICA' on the mirror frame. Myra made many of the frames for her sister’s paintings, and inspired this witty inclusion here.
 
I suppose the 'fancy dress' element in the photo was the Victorian dress. A bit like going to a fancy dress party today in 1970's fancy dress !
 
Vivienne14 said:
I think this is the reredos at St Albans. Impressive piece of work. Quite similar in style to the St Marys one in post #1. Viv.

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Yes these are the reredos at St Albans Church, Highgate in St Patricks Chapel and very impressive they are too. The church is well worth a visit and is
open for Heritage Week on Sun 20 Sept | 12pm-6pm.

There is a very well illustrated account of the Bunce Reredos on St Albans website at: http://www.saintalban.co.uk/interior/bunce-reredos/ - well worth a read.
u
 
superdad3 said:
Yes these are the reredos at St Albans Church, Highgate in St Patricks Chapel and very impressive they are too. The church is well worth a visit and is
open for Heritage Week on Sun 20 Sept | 12pm-6pm.

There is a very well illustrated account of the Bunce Reredos on St Albans website at: http://www.saintalban.co.uk/interior/bunce-reredos/ - well worth a read.
u
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Thank you, quite remarkable.
Having been born in St Albans Hertfordshire and lived opposite St Albans Cathedral through my adolescent years (where have they gone!) at St Albans School in that City I must say I don't recall anything so artistic on display there despite it's architectural stature. Anyway, poor old Alban had his head chopped off in 948AD and it rolled down the hill where a spring sprung. The hill is named Holywell Hill to this day. And no, I wasn't a spectator...
 
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