George Rice-Smith, a local artist from Alton, holds his first exhibition after being appointed as Chawton House Library’s first ever artist-in-residence in June 2014.
George has produced many drawings and paintings inspired by the architecture and landscape of the house and grounds that once belonged to Jane Austen’s brother, Edward. He has also taken inspiration from the charity’s collection of early English women’s writing from 1600 to 1830, including works by Jane Austen and Mary Shelley.
George said: “When painting landscapes, it can be difficult to find a location with a number of inspiring motifs and scenes to paint within walking distance of each other, but Chawton House Library has it all – not forgetting an amazing collection of writing that only adds to what is a very special and unusually tranquil environment.”
He added: “The residency has given me an unpressurised opportunity to become better at articulating my sensations of light and space in an image. Responding to the texts in the collection has contrasted and complimented the idyllic landscape of Chawton, and has helped clarify personal themes and subjects.”
George’s art is now on display at Chawton House Library, with some of the work available for sale.
Keith Arscott, Development Director at Chawton House Library said: “It has been truly rewarding to have George working on site. This was an ideal opportunity for us to support and encourage talent within the local community”.
Arscott added: “We were hoping for someone to capture, from a personal perspective, the very essence and spirit of the place and our collection. In addition, of course, we wanted it to be an opportunity to help a young artist to grow and develop. In our view, George has succeeded on all counts in what has proved a very fitting collaboration.”
George studied art and visual culture at the University of West England in Bristol before completing a post-graduate programme at the Royal Drawing School in London in 2013.
Visitors can view the exhibition at Chawton House Library’s Georgian Christmas on Saturday 13th December. The day will also feature talks from food historian Dr Annie Gray, a regular on The Great British Bake off plus a historical experience of how people of Jane Austen’s time celebrated Christmas. There will be activities for children and craft stalls in the servant’s quarters, an area of the house normally off-limits to the public.
Tickets for the Georgian Christmas are £8 or £15 for a family of two adults and up to three children. The house will be open from 10 am to 3 pm and a talk, refreshments and Georgian food to taste are included in the ticket price. You can book tickets here, call Chawton House Library on 01420 541010 or buy a ticket at the door.