art of Josephine C. Brett (1908-2000)

The Art of Josephine C. Brett

My mother, Josephine C. Brett, was born in London, England on June 9, 1908, within the sound of the Bow bells, making her a true Cockney. In 1930, she graduated from the Regent Street Polytechnic School of Art, followed by a year of study at the University of London from which she received her British Art Teachers’ Diploma in 1931. In art school, she studied a range of arts and crafts, with a specialization in illustration. In 1927, she won the School Bronze Medal for Illustration. From 1931 to 1946, she taught arts and crafts in a variety of settings in England, including a teacher training college and a private girls’ school, and served as an examiner in art for the University of London. She also did a variety of freelance illustration work, including book jackets, menus, advertisements, and gift wraps. During World War II, she served as an art teacher while accompanying a group of children being evacuated by ship to Canada. In 1943, she married George Fairburn Brett, a physicist. In 1950, the family relocated to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was during that time that she took up painting once again. Upon moving to Philadelphia in 1957, she continued to teach children and adults privately while developing her own skills in acrylic painting. Prior to her formal retirement and her return to London, England in 1968, she taught secondary school girls for a year at the Springside School in Philadelphia. The 1970s and 1980s were very productive years for her artistically, and she experimented with a variety of painting styles. After completing a number of large acrylic paintings, including abstracts, still lifes, and those inspired by her travels, she studied silkscreen at the Putney School of Art in her mid-70s and produced a series of prints that drew on her training as an illustrator. In 1987, she held a one-person retrospective art show. She died on April 3, 2000 at the age of 91.

In this gallery, I share a sample of her work.

49th Street at Night, New York (screenprint)

New York Skyline (screenprint)

Picture Window (screenprint)

English Village, Circa 1930 (screenprint)

Homage to Belle (screenprint)

Hydrangeas (screenprint)

Palm and Reflection (screenprint)

Peacock (screenprint)

Pisces for Pippa (screenprint)

Rocks, Portugal (screenprint)

Scroll (Photographic screenprint)

Year of the Cock (screenprint)

Tapestry (screenprint)

The Year of the Cock (with red)

Lilies

Ace of Spades

San Francisco (N/A)

Furnace (N/A)

The Black Glass Table (N/A)

Magnolia Tree in Winter

Brazier

Crisis 1974

Evolution

Flight (2) (N/A)

Folds (2)

Spider Plant

Girl Playing Piano

Book Cover Design, Hurry Scurry

Penguin greeting card, 1930s

Menu cover, 1930s

49th Street at Night, New York (screenprint)

New York Skyline (screenprint)

Picture Window (screenprint)

English Village, Circa 1930 (screenprint)

Homage to Belle (screenprint)

Hydrangeas (screenprint)

Palm and Reflection (screenprint)

Peacock (screenprint)

Pisces for Pippa (screenprint)

Rocks, Portugal (screenprint)

Scroll (Photographic screenprint)

Year of the Cock (screenprint)

Tapestry (screenprint)

The Year of the Cock (with red)Silkscreen Print

LiliesOil on Canvas

Ace of SpadesAcrylic on Board

San Francisco (N/A)

Furnace (N/A)Acrylic on Board

The Black Glass Table (N/A)Acrylic on Board

Magnolia Tree in WinterCasein and Collage

BrazierAcrylic on board

Crisis 1974Mixed media on board

EvolutionAcrylic on board

Flight (2) (N/A)Acrylic on Board

Folds (2)Acrylic on board

Spider PlantAcrylic on board

Girl Playing PianoConte on paper (Framed, with glass)

Book Cover Design, Hurry ScurryIn the 1930s, Josephine did freelance commercial work, including book jackets, menus, brochures, wrapping paper, greeting cards, and stationery designs.

Penguin greeting card, 1930s

Menu cover, 1930s

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