Dorothy Webster Hawksley (British painter) 1884 - 1970
Mary and Elizabeth, s.d.
tempera
50.5 x 34 cm. (20 x 13.5 in.)
indistinctly signed (lower right)
private collection
Catalogue Note Bonhams
Born in London, Dorothy Hawsley studied at the Royal Academy Schools. She was greatly inspired by Italian Old Master paintings and Japanese prints yet she developed her own unique style. Hawksley painted mainly in watercolour and tempera and specialised in figurative subjects.
The present work shows Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist together with a pregnant Mary. Hawksley never married nor had children of her own yet interestingly, women and children form the vast majority of her subject matter and she paints women with a wonderful tenderness. There is a palpable sense of poignancy to this work as Elizabeth gently takes Mary's hand, giving her advice on becoming a mother. Hawksley was interested not only in women's role in society but also in their place in the world and their relationship with one another. The present work is more than just a religious subject, it is also symbolic of women's role throughout time.
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