Vanessa Bell

1879–1961

Vanessa Bell, ‘Studland Beach. Verso: Group of Male Nudes by Duncan Grant’ c.1912 — Studland Beach. Verso: Group of Male Nudes by Duncan Grant c.1912
© Estate of Vanessa Bell, courtesy Henrietta Garnett
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Biography

Vanessa Bell (née Stephen; 30 May 1879 – 7 April 1961) was an English painter and interior designer, a member of the Bloomsbury Group and the sister of Virginia Woolf.

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Artworks

Vanessa Bell, ‘Studland Beach. Verso: Group of Male Nudes by Duncan Grant’ c.1912

Vanessa Bell Studland Beach. Verso: Group of Male Nudes by Duncan Grant

c.1912

On display at Tate Britain part of Walk Through British Art T02080

Vanessa Bell, ‘Abstract Painting’ c.1914

Vanessa Bell Abstract Painting

c.1914

T01935

Vanessa Bell, ‘Nude’ c.1922–3

Vanessa Bell Nude

c.1922–3

N05077

Vanessa Bell, ‘Interior with a Table’ 1921

Vanessa Bell Interior with a Table

1921

N05078

Vanessa Bell, ‘Mrs St John Hutchinson’ 1915

Vanessa Bell Mrs St John Hutchinson

1915

T01768

Vanessa Bell, ‘Still Life on Corner of a Mantelpiece’ 1914

Vanessa Bell Still Life on Corner of a Mantelpiece

1914

T01133

Vanessa Bell, ‘The Tub’ 1917

Vanessa Bell The Tub

1917

T02010

Vanessa Bell, ‘Chrysanthemums’ 1920

Vanessa Bell Chrysanthemums

1920

N03836

Artist as subject

Duncan Grant, ‘Vanessa Bell’ 1942

Duncan Grant Vanessa Bell

1942

N05405

Dame Ethel Walker, ‘Vanessa’ 1937

Dame Ethel Walker Vanessa

1937

N05038

William Roberts, ‘No! No! Cézanne never used it’ c.1934

William Roberts No! No! Cézanne never used it

c.1934

View by appointment T12724

Ann Travis, ‘Bloomsbury Pie’ 1974

Ann Travis Bloomsbury Pie

1974

View by appointment P06597

John Nash, recipient: Christine Nash, ‘Letter from John Nash to Christine Nash about Roger Fry, the Friday Club, and Paul Nash’ [3 April 1917]

John Nash, recipient: Christine Nash Letter from John Nash to Christine Nash about Roger Fry, the Friday Club, and Paul Nash

[3 April 1917]

TGA 8910/8/2/351

John Nash, recipient: Christine Nash, ‘Illustrated letter from John Nash to Christine Nash about his work for the Friday Club, his work ‘The Viaduct’ c. 1916, and his works being sent to the U.S.A.’ [29 January 1917]

John Nash, recipient: Christine Nash Illustrated letter from John Nash to Christine Nash about his work for the Friday Club, his work ‘The Viaduct’ c. 1916, and his works being sent to the U.S.A.

[29 January 1917]

TGA 8910/8/2/349

Duncan Grant, recipient: Vanessa Bell, ‘Postcard from D.G. [Duncan Grant] to Vanessa Bell’ 5 August [1935]

Duncan Grant, recipient: Vanessa Bell Postcard from D.G. [Duncan Grant] to Vanessa Bell

5 August [1935]

TGA 8010/5/1695

Duncan Grant, recipient: Vanessa Bell, ‘Letter from Duncan [Grant] to Vanessa Bell [London]’ [c.1923]

Duncan Grant, recipient: Vanessa Bell Letter from Duncan [Grant] to Vanessa Bell [London]

[c.1923]

TGA 8010/5/1304

Duncan Grant, recipient: Vanessa Bell, ‘Letter from Bear [Duncan Grant] to Vanessa Bell [possibly at Asheham]’ [1918]

Duncan Grant, recipient: Vanessa Bell Letter from Bear [Duncan Grant] to Vanessa Bell [possibly at Asheham]

[1918]

TGA 8010/5/1157

Film and audio

Duncan Grant, ‘Bathing’ 1911

Walks of art: Bonnie Greer on Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group

The writer and critic explores the friendships, work and designs behind this radical set of artists

Features

Tate Etc

Opinion: 'Middlebrow' art

Hana Leaper

‘Highbrow’ and ‘lowbrow’ art – the cultural hierarchies have been with us for over 100 years, but it is time ...

Roger Fry, ‘Still Life with T’ang Horse’ c.1919–21

Art Term

Bloomsbury

Bloomsbury is the name commonly used to identify a circle of intellectuals and artists who lived in Bloomsbury, near central ...

Vanessa Bell, Abstract Painting c.1914

In Focus

Abstract Painting c.1914 by Vanessa Bell

Grace Brockington

This In Focus presents the first sustained analysis of this enigmatic painting – now regarded as a key work in Bell ...

Vanessa Bell, ‘Abstract Painting’ c.1914

Tate Etc

Vanessa Bell, Abstract Painting c.1914: A poem by Jack Underwood

Jack Underwood

A poem by Jack Underwood in response to Vanessa Bell's 'Abstract Painting', c.1914

Oskar Kokoschka, ‘The Crab’ 1939–40

Blog

Migrations from the Tate Archive

Emma Chambers

One of the unexpected pleasures of curating the Refugees from Nazi Europe section of the Migrations exhibition has been the ...

Joseph Mallord William Turner, ‘The New Moon; or, ‘I’ve lost My Boat, You shan’t have Your Hoop’’ exhibited 1840

Tate Etc

MicroTate 22

Victoria Pomery , Corin Sworn , Peter Kennard and Sarah Burnage

Individual reflections on a work in the Tate collection

Hand painted calendars by Vanessa Bell done as Christmas gifts for friends in 1951

Tate Etc

Family pleasures: Behind the curtain

Henrietta Garnett

Henrietta Garnett, a regular visitor to the Tate archive, recognises two painted calendars done by her grandmother Vanessa Bell.

Tate Etc

My dearest Clive...: Behind the curtain

Tishani Doshi

Inspired by her mother’s love letters to her father, Tishani Doshi reads the moving correspondence in the Tate archive between ...

Vanessa Bell, ‘Studland Beach. Verso: Group of Male Nudes by Duncan Grant’ c.1912

Read

On the beach

Janet Webb

Tate Liverpool Member Janet Webb finds help as well as inspiration for her own work in Vanessa Bell’s painting Studland Beach

Sketches, letters, etc.

Vanessa Bell, recipient: Duncan Grant, ‘Letter from Vanessa Bell to Duncan Grant’ [13 February 1919]

Vanessa Bell, recipient: Duncan Grant Letter from Vanessa Bell to Duncan Grant

[13 February 1919]

View by appointment TGA 20078/1/44/90

Vanessa Bell, recipient: Duncan Grant, ‘Letter from Vanessa Bell to Duncan Grant’ [c.25 December 1925]

Vanessa Bell, recipient: Duncan Grant Letter from Vanessa Bell to Duncan Grant

[c.25 December 1925]

View by appointment TGA 20078/1/44/133

Vanessa Bell, recipient: Duncan Grant, ‘Letter from Vanessa Bell to Duncan Grant’ [c.May 1940]

Vanessa Bell, recipient: Duncan Grant Letter from Vanessa Bell to Duncan Grant

[c.May 1940]

View by appointment TGA 20078/1/44/217

Related art terms

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