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
- 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
Showing 101–120 of 124 objects
Eileen Agar Black and white glass lantern slide of a drawing of a Mexican statue
date not known
Eileen Agar Untitled
date not known
Eileen Agar Black and white glass lantern slide of an African artefact captioned ‘Chivita’
date not known
Eileen Agar Black and white glass lantern slide of an African-style drawing captioned ‘Namungumi’
date not known
Eileen Agar Untitled
date not known
Eileen Agar Untitled
date not known
Eileen Agar Black and white glass lantern slide of a relief, possibly Assyrian
date not known
Eileen Agar Glass slide painted in a zebra pattern and splattered with brown paint
date not known
Eileen Agar Untitled
date not known
Eileen Agar Glass slide with rounded shapes drawn on in ink
date not known
Eileen Agar Untitled
date not known
Eileen Agar Untitled
date not known
Eileen Agar Slide on which a geometric pattern has been constructed from pieces black paper
date not known
Eileen Agar Slide on which a paper cut out of a peacock and peacock feathers have been glued
date not known
Eileen Agar Glass slide on which shapes have been painted in blue paint
date not known
Eileen Agar Glass slide with a piece of black paper, possibly cut from a negative, glued in the middle
date not known
Eileen Agar Glass slide with curved lines drawn on in black paint
date not known
Eileen Agar Glass slide which has had pieces of yellow paper cut into geometric shapes glued onto it
date not known
Eileen Agar Glass slide which originally had a paper cut out of a bird glued to it, now detached
date not known
Eileen Agar Two slides sellotaped together
date not known