Maud Tindal Atkinson
Amy Maud Tindal Atkinson was born in Shorthand, Kent on 26 November 1875, to Henry Tidal Atkinson, a county judge and his wife Marion Lewis. She had no children and it is unknown if she at any time was married and her date of death is as well unknown. She had three sisters Ethel, Enid and Doris, and one brother Sir Edward Hale Tindal Atkinson, whom served as the Director of Public Prosecutions form 1930 to 1944. She died in 1937.
The first entrance found regarding this lady comes from 1906, when she appeared to exhibit at the Royal Academy from 1906-1937. In total she exposed 15 times but none of her worked appeared in the catalogue of any of these 15 exhibitions4. Byam Shaw was the director of a the School of Art in London in which Ethel Maud’s sister worked as a secretary, she seemed to be a writer and she collaborated closely with Byam Shaw in different book’s illustrations. Byam Shaw worked to revive Pre-Raphaelite influences in his paintings, he used Maud his pupil, at the school as a model in 1907 for “The Bird in a Cage”, and it seems they had a kind of close relationship but no more information can be found.
In 1915 Maud painted Ariel; this picture represents a character of the tempest of Shakespeare and was exposed at the Mass Gallery in London. Currently this paint is part of a private collection belongs to Mr Sam Elliot. Little information can be obtained about this picture; Tolkien used it as a covered page for the 1983, French Edition of the book “Les adventures of Tom Bombadil “and as well appeared on “The Fairyland Companion” as an illustration on 2000 Edition and “The Fairy Garden” 2010 edition, these last two books are written by Beatrice Philppots.
She was a member of The Royal Academy of Miniaturist in London and illustrated some children's books, like: The Land of Nice New Clothes. Pictured by Maud Tindal Atkinson, Verses by E. H. Paine; The children’s book, I will be good, The hollow tree, My favorite nursery rhymes, Lady Ann’s fairy tales writing by Catherine Mildne.
Maud Tindal known art work is as follows:
- Pansy with the fairies
- Portrait of Tommy 1916
- Portrait of George 1916
- The red shoes
- A group of Landscape and figure subjects
- The balcony
- Rose still life
- Sir galagah
- The pity of the woods
- The flower girl
- Building Sandcastles
Bibliography: Maud Tindal Atkinson Genealogy. http://www.tolliss.com/gedview/individual.php?pid=I7528&ged=Tolliss.ged. http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/LotDetailsPrintable.aspx?intObjectID=3042 RoyalAcademy of Art, General Archive. London .UK Mass Gallery. London .UK http://www.massgallery.org/
