Lewin BASSINGTHWAIGHTE (1928-1983)

was a well-known painter, printmaker, poster designer, illustrator and art teacher. He was born in Southminster, Essex and studied art at South-West Technical College, St Martin’s School of Art and then at the Royal College of Art 1950-53. He married fellow artist, and author, Inger Madsen following which they lived in her native Denmark for some time. Bassingthwaighte exhibited at the Royal Academy on several occasions from 1952 and had shows with the Leicester Galleries 1957, the Arthur Jeffries Gallery 1959 & 1961, Galleria Cavana in Venice (his prints), Lane Galleries in Westwood Village California 1963, the Piccadilly Gallery 1964-72 and Bear Lane Gallery Oxford 1968 (prints). He worked in Venice and Ravello in Italy and also in the Algarve, Portugal. His work is represented in a number of public collections including the Victoria & Albert Museum, Government Art Collection, the Arts Council Collection, Leicestershire County Council, Towner Art Gallery Eastbourne, and the Universities of Glasgow and of Liverpool. He lived in Kensington in the 1950s later in London N19, and taught etching and lithography at Chelsea College of Art. Unfortunately his output in his later years was restricted due to a debilitating illness.