Group Show
Far Room of the British Pavilion 1938, Courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia, Archivio Storicio delle Arti Contemporanee
The Venice Biennale of 1938 was the first for the British Council. The Council's Fine Arts Committee, formed in 1935 to promote knowledge and appreciation of British art abroad by organising loan exhibitions of the fine arts, took over the role formerly played by the Exhibitions Branch of the Department of Overseas Trade.
Ten years passed before their next exhibition, since the onset of the Second World War led first to Britain's withdrawal in 1940, then abstention in 1942, and finally to the suspension of the Biennale itself in 1944 and 1946. In the early 1930's the Biennale authorities had urged that the number of artists exhibited should be reduced. In this year there were just seven artists exhibited compared to the 97 shown in 1930.
The prize for a foreign engraver was won by Blair Hughes-Stanton.
Selection committee: Sir Lionel Faudel-Phillips (Chairman), Lord Balniel, Sir Kenneth Clark, Campbel Dodgson, Sir Edward Marsh.
Commissioner: Alfred A. Longden.
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People (17)
Some of the following artists have works in the British Council Collection. Click on the icon to explore the work of the artist in the Collection Website.
British Pavilion
- Stanley Anderson
- Jacob Epstein
- » Blair Hughes-Stanton
- » Paul Nash
- » Matthew Smith
- » Stanley Spencer
- » Christopher Wood
