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Slightly off-mint

The son of a French violinist and well-known British composer, Benedict Rubbra was brought up in England and Italy, surrounded by artists and musicians, but it was a new art teacher arriving at Christ’s Hospital school in 1950 who first made him think about a career as a painter. This retrospective of his life and work includes over 150 paintings and drawings, including many of his harmoniously coloured abstracts and portraits of prominent people.

Head of Painting at Falmouth School of Art from 1960 to 1981, Francis Hewlett (1930–2012) remained a figurative artist, exploring what he called the ‘essential geometry’ of observed objects, despite the prevailing fashions of the period. Including over 200 paintings and drawings, this biography charts his lifelong dedication to art, from his early studies in Bristol, London and Paris to his completion of a major series of paintings in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

The son of a famous soldier, Andrew Festing spent nine years in the army and another twelve at Sotheby's auction house before becoming a professional painter in 1981. He quickly established himself as a leading portraitist and has completed commissions of prominent figures in politics, the Church and the Royal Family, including the Queen. This exploration of his oeuvre gives an account of his life and influences, discusses his meticulous methods and includes reproductions of over 150 of his works.