Frances Richards (1903 - 1985)

Frances Richards (née Clayton) worked as a pottery designer for Paragon while studying at Burslem School of Art (1919–24), before winning a scholarship to the Royal College of Art (1924– 27) where she met Ceri Richards (whom she married in 1929). Greatly influenced by Italian Renaissance painters, she specialised in tempera and fresco painting in her studies, and continued to work in tempera after leaving the college. During the 1930s she produced lithographs, and in 1931 provided twelve drawings for The Revelation of St. John the Divine. In 1945, she held her first solo exhibition at the Redfern Gallery, where she exhibited again in 1949 and 1954. She also took part in shows at Hannover Gallery (1950), the Leicester Galleries (1964 and 1969), the Howard Roberts Gallery, and Holsworthy Gallery (1981). A respected teacher, Richards held posts at Camberwell School of Art (1928–39) and later Chelsea School