words dolores o’donoghue images courtesy of fleece press
The first major exhibition dedicated to British wood engraver, painter, paper marbler and author Tirzah Garwood takes place at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London. The title of the exhibition, Tirzah Garwood: Beyond Ravilious is a reminder of how during her lifetime her work was overshadowed by that of her husband, Eric Ravilious.
In 1925, Garwood enrolled at the Eastbourne School of Art, where she studied wood engraving under Ravilious. Her talent quickly gained recognition, with her work being widely praised and displayed by the Society of Wood Engravers. Critics were captivated by her precocious skill and mischievous humour and her innate ability to bring people to life.
Garwood soon became an adept peer to her accomplished teacher, even influencing his artistic approach and encouraging him to incorporate scenes of everyday life into his work. From their first meeting in 1926, influence flowed both ways as their creative and personal lives became deeply intertwined. Included in the exhibition are ten watercolours by Ravilious, which draw out the thematic similarities, shared interests and distinct artistic personalities of this remarkably creative couple.
The pair married in July 1930 and the following year moved to the village of Great Bardfield in Essex, where they initially lived with fellow artist, Edward Bawden and his wife. The arrival of Ravilious and Bawden to the village prompted many of their friends to follow, forming a loose collective of painter-designers known as the Great Bardfield Artists. Although diverse in style, the group shared a passion for figurative art. They organised a series of large open-house exhibitions, which attracted attention from both national and international press. The positive reviews, combined with the unique experience of viewing modernist artwork in the artists’ own homes, drew thousands of visitors to the remote village.
Garwood and Ravilious had three children together, and after her marriage, Tirzah gave up woodcuts as domestic life and raising children consumed much of her time. However, she found a creative outlet in experimenting with marbled paper, producing exquisite repeated designs that were used for lampshades and books. Yet her achievements were overshadowed by the steadily growing fame of her husband’s work.
In 1942, Tirzah endured a difficult year, undergoing a mastectomy for breast cancer and losing her husband while he served as a war artist. While recovering from surgery, she wrote her autobiography, Long Live Great Bardfield, initially intended just for her family. In 2012, more than 60 years after the artist’s death, it was edited by her daughter, Anne Ullmann, and published posthumously. The book tells not just the story of a group of artists but an account of the life of a woman artist with all its difficulties as well as the satisfaction and joy.
Garwood resumed her career as an artist later in 1942, creating her first oil paintings. The following years became some of the most productive of her life. Drawing inspiration from the countryside she had always loved, her paintings depict natural scenes of birds and insects, rendered in enchanting, jewel-like colour schemes.
In 1944, Garwood met Anglo-Irish radio producer Henry Swanzy, and they married in March 1946. She was diagnosed with cancer again in early 1948 and died in 1951 at the age of 42.
Tirzah Garwood: Beyond Ravilious is at Dulwich Picture Gallery, London se21 until 26 May 2025.
- ‘Tirzah Garwood: A visionary artist and designer’ is published in Anthology Volume 22. Read more features from this volume or buy it now.
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- Featured image: Etna. Tirzah Garwood, 1944, oil on canvas. Private collection.
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