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Women in the Arts

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Brenda Munson

1931 - 2003

Artist

Brenda Munson was born in Guernsey. Shortly before the German Occupation of the Channel Island's she was evacuated to Halifax in Yorkshire. After the War ended, Brenda moved back to Guernsey. Benda ran a grocery store in the parish of St. Martin to support her ambition of becoming a full-time artist. In the evenings, Brenda attended classes at the States Art School in Queen's Road.

In 1967 she opened the 'St James Gallery' in the Grange where local artists could exhibit. In the same year two of Brenda's paintings were accepted into the Royal Academy summer exhibition and others were displayed at the Royal Institute Summer Salon.

After this initial success, Brenda then opened 'Studio Gallois' in Lower Forest Lane, St. Peter Port. In 1970 Brenda briefly moved to the Havelet area of St. Peter Port before moving back to Forest Lane in the heart of the town.

Brenda painted many views of the island, choosing locations that personally inspired her. Many of her chosen views highlight the quiet and hidden corners of Guernsey that aren't often committed to canvas. She favoured St Peter Port's venelles or alleyways. With her high contrast palette Brenda captured patterns of light and shade and the texture of trees and shrubs, roof tiles, brickwork, wood and granite. 

In her letters Brenda Munson called Guernsey her "granite island". 

Brenda continued to hold successful exhibitions locally including at the Coach House Gallery and internationally in London, France and Singapore. In 2023 Guernsey Museums & Galleries exhibited a number of Brenda's artworks loaned from the George Webber Collection alongside paintings from the Museum's permanent collection.

Molly Harris


Molly Harris was born in Guernsey in 1946. In 1952 She moved with her family to live in the Scottish Borders.

Harris studied Graphic Design at Carlisle College of Art, Cumbria between the years of 1961 to 1964 and later went on to study mural painting at the Edinburgh College of Art. She graduated with a Diploma in Drawing and Painting (Dip Edin) in 1966.

After college Harris taught in Colleges of Further Education in Manchester for two years until moving back to Guernsey in 1969. After moving back to the island she took a break from painting and didn't resume again until 1982.

However, shortly afterwards in 1983, she held her first exhibition at the Coach-house Gallery.

By 1986 Harris was exhibiting works internationally, including at the "Paper Works Gallery" in Vancouver Canada and the Pike Gallery, St John's Wood, London. In 1993 Harris won the coveted JJ Fox Art Competition.

Hon. Marion Saumarez

Born 1885

Died 1978

Marion Saumarez was the daughter of James, fourth Lord de Saumarez. Marion's father had a great interest in the arts which he passed on to his daughter. In the early 1900s Marion enrolled at the Académie Julian for seven years. This French Art Academy, founded by Rodolphe Julian, was ground-breaking in that it offered women the same training in art as men. Marion was a successful portrait artist, garnering honourable mentions at numerous exhibitions. Some of her most notable works include the painting of her younger sister Gladys and the portrait of Marie, a fellow student at the Académie Julian.

Isabel Naftel née Oakley

1832 - 1912

Isabel Naftel was the daughter of Octavius Oakley and the second wife of artist Paul Jacob Naftel (M. 1853). Isabel mostly painted landscapes, flowers and genre scenes. Before taking up art, Isabel trained as a singer at the Royal Academy of Music. However, as her love for art developed Isabel began exhibiting her work. Between 1862 and 1889 she exhibited numerous pieces with the Society of Women's Artists.

During the 1860's Isabel favoured painting and exhibiting portraits of prominent Guernsey people including Miss Slade, daughter of the Lieutenant-Governor, Mrs. Carey Brock, the Bailiff of Guernsey, Sir Stafford Carey and poet and lexicographer Georges Métivier. However, in the 1870s and 1880s Isabel returned to painting landscape scenes.

Maud Naftel

1856 - 1890

Isabel passed her love of art onto her daughter Maud. In 1870 Maud moved to England to study art and attended the SLADE School of Fine Art and later studied under French painter Carolus Duran in Paris. Following in her mother footsteps, Maud exhibited works with the Society of Women's Artists as well as the Royal Academy and the Dudley Gallery. In 1887 Maud published a book titled Flowers and how to paint them.

Ethel Cheeswright 

1874-1977

Ethel Cheeswright was the daughter of Frederick Cheeswright, owner of the Channel Island Shipping Company. She was educated at Ladies College where she became certain that the only thing she wanted to do was paint and later studied art. Cheeswright moved to Sark in 1892 and then made the island her home for the rest of her life. Inspired by Sark's landscape and her love of the sea Cheeswright painted many watercolours capturing the island's dramatic scenery. During the German Occupation, as she was English-born, she was deported to Biberach internment camp in Germany. Cheeswright continued to paint well into her eighties, often creating images of her beloved Sark from memory.

Julia Anne (Eva) Maingay

 1826-1891

Eva Maingay was the daughter of Rev. Peter Maingay and his wife Maria Potenger Tupper. For most of her life Maingay lived at No. 3 Brock Terrace in St. Peter Port. She was a follower and admirer of fellow contemporary artist Paul-Jacob Naftel.

Throughout her life Maingay produced many beautiful watercolours of Guernsey scenes. In an album produced by Maingay for a 'Mrs. McCausland' are six exquisite scenes comprising views of Castle Cornet, Fermain Bay, Moulin Huet Bay,  Jerbourg Rocks and a view of Jerbourg from the Le Vallon.

Elsie Marion Henderson

1880-1967

Elsie Henderson was born in Eastbourne and was educated between England and Guernsey. In Guernsey her parents lived at the Chain house, St. Andrews and she attended the Girls' School. Her mother was an amateur painter and encouraged Henderson to take up the arts. In 1903 Henderson attended the Slade School of Fine Art in London where she was taught by artists Fred Brown, Henry Tonks and Wilson Steer. Henderson also studied in Europe spending time in Paris in 1908 and studied the Old Masters in Italy.

She briefly returned to Guernsey before leaving for England again to study lithography under F. Ernest Jackson at the Chelsea Polytechnic.

Until the 1940s Henderson spent much time at the London Zoo and earnt a reputation as a fine animal draughtsman. Henderson's work caught the eye of many greats including Lucien Pissarro the son of Impressionist artist Camille Pissaro, the Keeper of Drawings at the British Museum Campbell Dodgson, renowned art critic Paul G. Konody and painter Archibald Standish Hartrick.

In 1928 Henderson married Henri Baron de Coudenhove, widower of her sister and French consul to Guernsey. Henderson chose to remain in Guernsey during the German Occupation. When the Baron Coudenhove died in 1946, Henderson moved to Hadlow down, Sussex where she continued to paint landscapes.

Today numerous art galleries hold examples of Henderson's work including the TATE, British Museum, the V & A, Fitzwilliam Museum and the Manchester City Art Gallery.

 

Mary Marshall (1933-2021)

Classical Recording and Theatrical Artiste

Born in Bolton in 1933, Mary Marshall had an exceptional talent for singing. Mary began her career as an Opera singer and became a solo artiste with Columbia records in the 1950s. For a while Mary was a member of a group "The Three Shades", until she moved from her recording company and accepted a contract to perform in the Channel Islands for impresario Sydney James.  Mary was a sensation; she and Sydney were married in 1960 and settled in Guernsey, later forming the company Sydney and Mary James Productions Ltd.. Mary continued in Sydney's Olde Tyme Music Hall shows and cabarets for many years until she retired in 1979.