ELIZABETH ADELA ARMSTRONG FORBES

Arts and Education

1859-1912

Suggested by Maggi Livingstone, lead archivist at The Hypatia Trust

“Elizabeth Adela Armstrong Forbes was a very good painter. Three of her most famous paintings are “The Zandvoort Fishergirl”, “School is out, 1889”, both of which can be seen in the Penlee House Gallery & Museum, and “Across Mounts Bay” which is in the collection at Victoria and Albert Museum, London. There are many more.

Canadian born, Elizabeth was a successful painter before coming to Cornwall, England in 1885 where she married her husband Stanhope Forbes. Together as equals they set up Newlyn School of Art where she taught students in addition to pursuing her own painting. Elizabeth was also a successful printmaker. She wrote and illustrated her book King Arthur’s Wood - Hypatia bookshop sells digital copies.

Elizabeth was not given the status she deserved during her lifetime. One only has to look at the photographs of the Newlyn School Artists to note that there are only men in the photographs. In fact we have only found one photograph of her in her studio on her own. There were other women studying at Newlyn but she was one of the founders deserving recognition. She has a place in history because of her beautiful work which is acknowledged by her husband in his writing about art. Her work evoked a wonderful sense of Cornwall the landscape and people.

She died early of cancer at aged 53 and is buried with her mother in Sancreed churchyard.

There are several biographies written about her including Singing from the Walls: The Life and Art of Elizabeth Forbes”, 1999 by Judith Cook, Melissa Hardie - founder of the Hypatia Trust - and Christiana Payne.”

hypatia-trust.org.uk
womenincornwall.org