george soper - artist

George Soper was born in Devon but spent most of his life drawing rural scenes in Hertfordshire . Its slightly ironic that it was a painting by his daughter Eileen some 10 years ago that started Blondes Fine Art and it has taken so many years for us to appreciate the work of her father . Having said that we are delighted to have some wonderful original ink drawings by George Soper who settled in Hertfordshire just a few miles from where we are based . George moved to Harmer Green in Hertfordshire with his wife and two daughters . Eileen , his youngest , went on to illustrate the Enid Blyton books . The work we have available are all original drawings by George Soper.
He is most widely acclaimed for his images of rural life but in particular the working horse. George Soper had been producing competent original work for some years before he sought out Frank Short who assisted him in matters of technique. He worked with Frank Short, between the years 1916 and 1920 and during this time his printed work went from strength to strength. He went on to illustrate such books as Lamb’s Tales from Shakespeare (1909) and The Arabian Nights (1913) and The Water Babies (1908), but throughout the nineteen-twenties concentrated upon etching, returning to illustration only in the ‘thirties, when he contributed to children’s books and periodicals, such as Boy’sOwn.
He was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy and a full member of the Royal Engravers. The British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum have examples of his etchings in their collections.