British artist Edith Hannah Hudson was active as a painter in her hometown of Bradford, Yorkshire. The daughter of an accountant, it is unclear whether she received any artistic education. What is certain, however, is her success in exhibiting. Her works were displayed twice at the Royal Academy in London, as well as in regional exhibits such as in Manchester.

Hudson’s work was praised in the press. Her landscapes were noted for their ‘impressionist’ feeling. Indeed, the remaining examples point to a cunning, lively impressionist spirit. A view of St Ives harbour creates a sense of intimacy and inseparability between the man-made and the natural. The sandy, earthy hues of the buildings is reflected in the great wash of the aquamarine water. Similarly, Hudson picks up turquoise tones in the rooves of her buildings, conjured from sharp, jutting movements of the brush. This balances effectively the smoother attention afforded to the water, giving it an ethereal, glossy appearance. A bold, blocked sky above compliments the more vigorous brushstrokes of the harbour, adding a sense of balance.

Hudson also seems to have created a number of portraits. One of these was exhibited and noted for its ‘concentration of light on the face.’ One gets the impression of a female artist able to turn her hand to different subjects. Indeed, she could also instruct another’s hand. Hudson is recorded as having a student, Alice Gates, most likely the same Gates recorded as being a landscape painter hailing from Leeds. It is an affirming and lifting thought to consider one woman teaching another when artistic opportunities were limited for them in comparison to their male peers.

1853

Born in Bradford, Britain.

1888-1889

Exhibited at the Royal Academy, London, Britain.

1961

Died in Bradford, Britain.