Stella Schmolle

Stella Schmolle, (1908-5 March 1975) was a British painter, known for the paintings she produced while serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II and for her post-war portrait paintings.

Stella Schmolle
Born1908 (1908)
Barnes, London
Died5 March 1975 (aged 66–67)
NationalityBritish
Education
Known forPainting

Early life
Pioneers Clearing Out an SS HQ Brussels - October 1944 (Art.IWM ART LD 4993)
A Convoy Moving Up to the Front, Avenue Louise, Brussels - October 1944 (Art.IWM ART LD 4995)

Schmolle was born in Barnes in west London. She attended the Central School of Arts and Crafts.[1] Upon graduating, in 1939, she worked as an commercial artist and illustrator. Works by Schmolle were shown at the Royal Academy between 1938 and 1940.[2][3]

World War II

In December 1941, Schmolle applied to join the Art Department of the Ministry of Information but was not accepted. However the War Artists' Advisory Committee, WAAC, of the same Ministry agreed to assist her in obtaining materials to continue working as an artist during the Second World War. In 1942, Schmolle was conscripted into the Auxiliary Territorial Service, ATS, and initially did camouflage work before becoming an draughtswomen to an ATS intelligence officer.[2] She served with the ATS in both Britain and, following the D-Day landings in 1944, also France and Belgium.[4] During this period she continued to paint. Her subjects included scenes showing French collaborators in Normandy, British troops clearing an SS headquarters in Brussels and both ATS and civilian activities in Britain.[5] Eventually seventeen of these pictures were purchased by the War Artists Advisory Committee.

Later life

After the war Schmolle was commissioned to produce a Stations of the Cross series for the Roman Catholic Chapel at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[6] She became an art teacher and was a well known portrait painter. For a time she taught at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, where she had been a student.[1] Works by Schmolle are held by the British Museum,[7] Auckland Art Gallery, the National Army Museum and the Imperial War Museum, which acquired the works previously purchased by WAAC.[8]

References
  1. Grant M. Waters. Dictionary of British Artists Working 1900-1950 Volume II. Eastbourne Fine Art.
  2. Kathleen Palmer (2011). Women War Artists. Tate Publishing/Imperial War Museum. ISBN 978-1-85437-989-4.
  3. Frances Spalding (1990). 20th Century Painters and Sculptors. Antique Collectors' Club. ISBN 1-85149-106-6.
  4. Catherine Speck (2014). Beyond the Battlefield, Women Artists of Two World Wars. Reaktion Books. ISBN 978-178023-374-1.
  5. Imperial War Museum. "Collection Search 'Stella Schmolle'". Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  6. "Cardinal Opens Sandhurst Chapel". The Catholic Herald. 10 December 1948. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  7. British Museum. "Stella Schmolle". Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  8. David Buckman (1998). Artists in Britain Since 1945 Vol 2, M to Z. Art Dictionaries Ltd. ISBN 0-95326-095-X.
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