Head of a Girl

Meninsky was born in Karotopin in the Ukraine. Shortly after his birth the family moved to England and settled in Liverpool where he was to study at the School of Art from 1906. In 1911 he won the King’s Medal at Liverpool, and after a brief time at the Royal College of Art and the Academie Julian in Paris, he was awarded a scholarship to study at the Slade School of Fine Art, 1912-1913. In 1913 he worked for Edward Gordon Craig at his theatre school in Florence, returning to teach at the Central School of Arts and Crafts. After serving for a short time as a war artist in the Ministry of Information he became a naturalised British citizen in 1918. Following the war he returned to the Central School and had his first solo show at Goupil Gallery in 1919. He later taught at Westminster School of Art and Oxford City School of Art. In addition to his teaching and painting Meninsky also worked as a stage and costume designer, illustrator and published an edition on his drawings. He was a member of the London Group and New English Art Club, exhibited widely and his work is in many public collections including that of the Tate Gallery. A highly sensitive man, Meninsky suffered several breakdowns and eventually took his own life in 1950. The present work is dated in 1912 and therefore executed during his time at the Slade. It was acquired by Sir Michael Sadler, a leading collector and promoter of Modern British art in the early 20th century.