In her lifetime, Dod Procter was one of Britain’s most acclaimed and best-loved painters, but in the 35 years since her death, she has slipped into relative obscurity. Doris (‘Dod’) Shaw was only fifteen when her mother brought her and her brother to study at Stanhope and Elizabeth Forbes’ art school. It was there that she met fellow student Ernest Procter, whom she married in 1912. Dod’s mother also took her to Paris, in 1910, to study at the Atelier Colorossi, where she was inspired by the impressionist and post-impressionist painters, especially Cezanne and Renoir. Through the 1920s she specialised in painting the figure, usually single female figures, sometimes nude, others in softly draped clothes. One of these paintings, ‘Morning’, was bought by the Daily Mail for the Tate Gallery collections, which made Dod Procter a household name of the day. The style of Dod Procter’s later works changed considerably, as did the subject matter, which included landscapes, paintings of children and still-life. This major retrospective exhibition will include a representative selection of work of all periods and styles, including ‘Morning’ alongside less well-known works. Accompanied by a publication (Sansom & Co.)

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