Personal papers of and artworks by Eileen Agar

1917–92

Available online are items a range of Eileen Agar's artworks and writings which shed light on her working methods, including her extensive use of found objects, and her involvement in the Surrealist movement. Artworks which have been digitised include sculptures constructed from found objects and preparatory tracings for her series of paintings of rocks at Ploumanach. Several of Agar's writings and notebooks, which provide some insight into her life, working methods, and reflections on art, can also be seen online.

Details of the remainder of the collection can be found on the Archive catalogue.

Collection Owner: Eileen Agar 1899–1991
Collection: Tate Archive
Acquisition: Bequeathed to Tate Archive by Eileen Agar, 1992.
Reference: TGA 9222

239 objects in this collection

Personal papers of and artworks by Eileen Agar

239 Objects

Title: Glass plate negatives
Date: [c.1930–60]
Description: This sub-series consists of glass plate negatives of Agar, Joseph Bard and friends, as well as reproductions of plates from botanical and biological books, possibly used by Agar as inspiration for her artwork. A few of the slides have been painted or had patterns stuck to them (for instance TGA 9222/4/8/109-120), presumably by Agar.
Reference: TGA 9222/4/8

239 objects in this collection

Showing 61–80 of 124 objects

Black and white glass lantern slide of a shape made up of thin lines in a geometric pattern, similar to a polygon mesh

Black and white glass lantern slide of an African artefact

Colour glass lantern slide of a diagram of human teeth with a paper cut out of a plant enclosed between this slide and a blank one, presumably by Eileen Agar

Black and white glass lantern slide of a botanical drawing of an unidentified plant, possibly a turnip

Colour glass lantern slide of a diagram of nerves in the human body

Colour glass lantern slide with a paper cut-out of a plant against a coloured background

Black and white glass lantern slide of a botanical drawing of pea mould

Glass slide covered in black paint into which rounded patterns have been scratched

Black and white glass lantern slide of a diagram of cells

Black and white glass lantern slide of Valentine Penrose looking away from the camera

Black and white glass lantern slide of Valentine Penrose holding an oil lamp up to a window

Black and white glass lantern slide of a drawing or painting of an abstract figure

Black and white glass lantern slide of a botanical drawing of apples and apple blossom

Black and white glass lantern slide of a woman staring into a mirror, captioned ‘Reflections’

Black and white glass lantern slide of a drawing of an Aztec figure

Black and white glass lantern slide of a botanical drawing of an unidentified plant

Black and white glass lantern slide of an Aztec-style drawing captioned ‘Probably a swastika made of serpents’

Black and white glass lantern slide of a shape made up of thin lines in a geometric pattern, similar to a polygon mesh

Black and white glass lantern slide of an Aztec-style drawing captioned ‘Quetzalcoatl pointing at the mystic ‘name’ on an alter’

Black and white glass lantern slide of a drawing of caterpillars on plants

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