Alfred WOLMARK, (1877-1961)

Painter and multi-talented designer, born in Warsaw, Poland, travelling to settle in England with his parents as a small boy in 1883.

He studied at Royal Academy Schools in the mid-1890s, winning a silver medal for drawing in 1897. Had his first solo show at Bruton Galleries, 1905. He was to build up a wide-ranging appearance in group shows, at RA, 1901-36; AAA, 1908-16; IS, 1911-25; and with 1910-11 first Post-Impressionist exhibition in London, organised by Roger Fry. Soon began to show on continent and in America.

Among Wolmark’s designing jobs were designs for two Diaghilev ballets, in 1911; stained glass window for St Mary’s Church, Slough, in 1915; and decorative pottery for an exhibition in 1916 at Martyn’s Gallery. Towards the end of his life he showed extensively in one-man exhibitions at Ben Uri Gallery, which gave him a memorial show in 1961. Fine Art Society had a substantial show in 1970. Work in collections of Tate Gallery, National Portrait Gallery and in many provincial galleries.