Town Hall

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall

Town Hall is part of the New Suite portfolio, depicting Liverpool Town Hall in the foreground with the dense, cluttered streets of the city sandwiched behind. The Town Hall stands in the High Street at its junction with Dale Street, Castle Street, and Water Street in the city of Liverpool on Merseyside. Depicted on the summit of the dome of this late-Georgian building is a statue, representing Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and sponsor of arts, trade, and defense, designed by John Charles Felix Rossi.

Markson began sketching Liverpool city centre and its suburbs at a time when there was much development and old buildings were being demolished. Liverpool’s town planner, Graeme Shankland, had seen Markson’s work and suggested that she visit the city. The Liverpool Suite is another portfolio by Markson consisting of six colour etchings showing views and landmarks in Liverpool. She was commissioned to produce this series by Paul Cornwall-Jones, a founder of the print publishers Editions Alecto, from whom this work was also purchased.

Artist and Printmaker Helena Markson was born in London in 1934. She studied at Salisbury School of Art and then at Central School of Art (1952-56). From 1963-1966 she co-directed the first open Fine Art Printmaking Workshop in London at Charlotte Street. She set up the etching studio at Byam Shaw School of Painting, London and also taught at Chelsea College of Art and St Martin's School of Art, London. She moved to Israel in 1970 where she co-founded the Art Department at the University of Haifa and later set up the Fine Art Print Studios. She taught both lithography and etching and became Professor Emeritus of Haifa University.

Places

England, Liverpool, Merseyside

Subjects

topography, townscape/cityscape, road, street, government building, house, spire, dome, window, tower

Materials & Techniques

etching, aquatint

Artist

Helena Markson (1934 - 2012)

Title

Town Hall

Portfolio Title

New Suite

Edition

20/100

Date

1968

Medium

Etching and sugar-lift aquatint

Acquisition

Purchased from Editions Alecto, March 1971

Inscription

below image: 20/100 / Town Hall / Helena Markson

GAC number

9226