Artists’ birthdays

October

18 Oct Trevor Bell 1930 to 2017 Abstract painter; St Ives School
23 Oct Maggi Hambling Painter and sculptor; Scallop on Aldeburgh beach © StOuen CC BY-SA 3.0
25 Oct Pablo Picasso 1881 to 1973 Painter, sculptor and printmaker; Cubism © Argentina. Revista Vea y Lea Public Domain Mark
28 Oct O.G.S. Crawford 1886 to 1957 Archaeologist and photographer; aerial archaeology
31 Oct Helmut Newton 1920 to 2004 Fashion and portrait photographer © Ralf Liebau, stimmte der Veröffentlichung unter GNU zu, cropped Beyond My Ken (talk)CC BY-SA 3.0
31 Oct Katsushika Hokusai 1760 to 1849 Painter and printmaker; ukiyo-e © missing name CC0 1.0 (Public Domain Dedication)

November

9 Nov Peggy Angus 1904 to 1993 Painter and designer of tiles and wallpaper
9 Nov Robert Frank 1924 to 2019 Photographer and film-maker; The Americans
11 Nov Prunella Clough 1919 to 1999 Painter of industrial and urban scenes
14 Nov David Nash Sculptor in wood and land artist; Ash Dome and Wooden Boulder
14 Nov Elisabeth Frink 1930 to 1993 Sculptor and printmaker; men, horses and birds
18 Nov Frank Dobson 1886 to 1963 Sculptor; modern figure sculpture © Elliott & Fry Public Domain Mark
18 Nov Stanhope Forbes 1857 to 1947 Painter; founder of the Newlyn School
22 Nov Charlie Phillips Photographer of Notting Hill and Black London since the 1960s © MassiveEartha CC BY 3.0
26 Nov Cristina Mittermeier Marine biologist and pioneer of conservation photography

December

2 Dec Georges Seurat 1859 to 1891 Painter; pointillism © Unidentified photographer Public Domain Mark
3 Dec Victor Pasmore 1908 to 1998 Painter; Euston Road School and abstraction © Andrew Curtis CC BY-SA 2.0
9 Dec Mark Gertler 1891 to 1939 Painter; Merry-Go-Round © Mark Gertler (1891–1939)Public Domain Mark
10 Dec Gillian Wearing Photographer and video artist; Turner Prize 1997, RA, CBE © Juan García CC BY-SA 4.0
11 Dec Cedric Morris 1889 to 1982 Painter of flowers, birds and landscape; Benton End © Unknown authorUnknown author Public Domain Mark
12 Dec Cliff Holden 1919 to 2020 Painter, designer and screen printer; Borough Group
13 Dec John Piper 1903 to 1992 Painter, printmaker and designer of stained glass and tapestry © Unknown authorUnknown author Public Domain Mark
14 Dec Roger Fry 1866 to 1934 Painter and critic; Bloomsbury Group © Alice Boughton Public Domain Mark
16 Dec Wassily Kandinsky 1866 to 1944 Painter and theorist; abstraction © Vassily Kandinsky by Adolf Elnain Photo credits : Georges Meguerditchian - Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CC…Public Domain Mark
26 Dec Jacob Kramer 1892 to 1962 Painter and draughtsman; Leeds
29 Dec Elizabeth Forbes 1859 to 1912 Painter and etcher; Newlyn School © Elizabeth Forbes Public Domain Mark
31 Dec Henri Matisse 1869 to 1954 Painter, sculptor and maker of cut-outs; Fauvism © Alvin Langdon Coburn Public Domain Mark

January

3 Jan Josef Herman 1911 to 2000 Painter of miners and working people
6 Jan Gustave Doré 1832 to 1883 Illustrator, painter and engraver © Nadar / Adam Cuerden Public Domain Mark
10 Jan Barbara Hepworth 1903 to 1975 Sculptor; abstract carving and bronze, St Ives
12 Jan Beverly Joubert Wildlife photographer and film-maker of African big cats
18 Jan Raymond Briggs 1934 to 2022 Illustrator and author; The Snowman © Rob Croes for Anefo CC0 1.0 (Public Domain Dedication)
21 Jan Duncan Grant 1885 to 1978 Painter and designer; Bloomsbury Group, Charleston
22 Jan Peter Beard 1938 to 2020 Photographer and diarist of East African wildlife © File:Peter Hill Beard beach photo Marcio Scavone.jpg: Marcio Scavone derivative work: Georgfotoart CC BY-SA 4.0
24 Jan Desmond Morris 1928 to 2026 Zoologist, writer and surrealist painter © Eric Koch for Anefo CC BY-SA 3.0
27 Jan Samuel Palmer 1805 to 1881 Visionary landscape painter and etcher; Romanticism © Samuel Palmer Public Domain Mark
29 Jan Dennis Creffield 1931 to 2018 Painter and draughtsman; Borough Group © Alasswe CC BY-SA 4.0
30 Jan Patrick Heron 1920 to 1999 Abstract painter and critic; St Ives School

February

3 Feb Alvar Aalto 1898 to 1976 Architect and designer; bent plywood furniture © Unknown authorUnknown author Public Domain Mark
3 Feb Gillian Ayres 1930 to 2018 Abstract painter and printmaker
5 Feb William Nicholson 1872 to 1949 Painter and printmaker; still lifes and posters
7 Feb Shonto Begay Diné painter and illustrator of Navajo land and life
8 Feb Peter Lanyon 1918 to 1964 Painter; St Ives School, landscape and gliding
11 Feb James Fitton 1899 to 1982 Painter, lithographer and poster designer
11 Feb Robert Borlase Smart 1881 to 1947 Seascape painter; St Ives
15 Feb William Scott 1913 to 1989 Painter; still life and abstraction
20 Feb Lucien Pissarro 1863 to 1944 Painter, wood engraver and printer; Eragny Press © James Bolivar Manson Public Domain Mark
23 Feb Alan Lowndes 1921 to 1978 Painter; northern townscapes, friend of the St Ives artists

March

3 Mar Ivon Hitchens 1893 to 1979 Painter of woodland and landscape in blocks of colour
4 Mar Charles Ginner 1878 to 1952 Painter of townscapes; Camden Town Group © artist Malcolm Drummond (1880–1945)Public Domain Mark
8 Mar Percy Horton 1897 to 1970 Painter and teacher; Ruskin Master of Drawing
10 Mar Edward Bawden 1903 to 1989 Painter, illustrator and designer; Great Bardfield
10 Mar Euan Uglow 1932 to 2000 Painter; measured figure painting
13 Mar Reynolds Stone 1909 to 1979 Wood engraver, letterer and designer
19 Mar Anthony Gross 1905 to 1984 Printmaker, painter and war artist © War Office official photographer Public Domain Mark
19 Mar Peter Sedgley 1930 to 2025 Painter; Op art and kinetic art
21 Mar David Inshaw Painter of The Badminton Game and the Wiltshire downs; founder of the Brotherhood of Ruralists © David Inshaw CC BY-SA 3.0
29 Mar Anthony Benjamin 1931 to 2002 Painter, sculptor and printmaker
29 Mar Edward Burra 1905 to 1976 Painter; nightlife, Harlem and surreal scenes © Unknown authorUnknown author Public Domain Mark

April

4 Apr Phyllida Barlow 1944 to 2023 Sculptor; large installations from cheap materials © Carlos Jimenez CC BY 3.0
5 Apr Albert Chevallier Tayler 1862 to 1925 Painter; portraits and Newlyn School genre © Wikimedia Commons Public Domain Mark
5 Apr Denis Bowen 1921 to 2006 Painter and gallery director; New Vision Centre
5 Apr Nancy Holt 1938 to 2014 Land artist; Sun Tunnels
7 Apr Harry Weinberger 1924 to 2009 Painter of interiors, harbours and the sea
9 Apr Alexander Mackenzie 1923 to 2002 Abstract painter; Penwith landscapes, St Ives School
10 Apr Ben Nicholson 1894 to 1982 Painter; abstract reliefs, St Ives © Mabel Pryde Public Domain Mark
11 Apr John Nash 1893 to 1977 Painter, illustrator and war artist © Elliott & Fry Public Domain Mark
11 Apr Tirzah Garwood 1908 to 1951 Wood engraver, painter and marbler © Eric Ravilious Public Domain Mark
12 Apr Clare Leighton 1898 to 1989 Wood engraver and writer of rural life
20 Apr Rachel Whiteread Sculptor known for casts of everyday spaces; Turner Prize 1993 © Christian Zürn CC BY 3.0
23 Apr Lee Miller 1907 to 1977 Photographer; Surrealism and war reporting © U.S. Army Official Photograph CC BY-SA 4.0
24 Apr Bridget Riley Op art painter of optical stripes, curves and colour © Carolineandrieu CC BY-SA 4.0
26 Apr Conrad Shawcross Sculptor of large mechanical works drawn from science and philosophy © François Besch CC BY-SA 3.0
26 Apr Jeremy Gardiner Painter of the Jurassic Coast and Purbeck landscape © Purbeck99 CC BY-SA 4.0
29 Apr Frank Auerbach 1931 to 2024 Painter of portraits and Camden Town streets; School of London
29 Apr Margaret Benyon 1940 to 2016 Holographic artist
30 Apr Paul Feiler 1918 to 2013 Abstract painter; St Ives School

May

3 May Bill Brandt 1904 to 1983 Photographer; social documentary, nudes and landscape
6 May Reginald Brill 1902 to 1974 Painter of figure compositions; Kingston School of Art
11 May Paul Nash 1889 to 1946 Painter and war artist; Surrealist landscape © Bassano Ltd Public Domain Mark
11 May Salvador Dalí 1904 to 1989 Painter; Surrealism © Van Vechten, Carl, 1880-1964.Public Domain Mark
14 May Emeka Ogboh Sound and installation artist known for soundscapes of Lagos
16 May John Sell Cotman 1782 to 1842 Watercolourist and etcher; Norwich School © Miles Edmund Cotman CC BY 4.0
20 May Harold Harvey 1874 to 1941 Painter; Newlyn School © Harold Harvey Public Domain Mark
23 May Emma Kunz 1892 to 1963 Healer, researcher and draughtswoman
23 May Martin Parr 1952 to 2025 Documentary photographer; Magnum © Raph_PH CC BY 2.0
25 May Tom Phillips 1937 to 2022 Painter, printmaker and collagist; A Humument © George Quasha CC BY 3.0
26 May Spencer Gore 1878 to 1914 Painter of music halls and landscape; Camden Town Group
29 May Sargy Mann 1937 to 2015 Painter who kept painting after losing his sight
31 May Walter Sickert 1860 to 1942 Painter and printmaker; Camden Town Group © George Charles Beresford Public Domain Mark

June

8 Jun Wilhelmina Barns-Graham 1912 to 2004 Abstract painter; St Ives © Ross Irving on behalf of the Barns-Graham Trust CC BY-SA 4.0
9 Jun James Boswell 1906 to 1971 Painter, draughtsman and satirical illustrator
12 Jun Henry Scott Tuke 1858 to 1929 Painter; boys, boats and the sea at Falmouth © Unknown photographer Public Domain Mark
15 Jun Jo Spence 1934 to 1992 Photographer; feminist and photo therapy
21 Jun Clifford Fishwick 1923 to 1997 Painter; Principal of Exeter College of Art
22 Jun Gordon Matta-Clark 1943 to 1978 Artist of building cuts; anarchitecture
28 Jun Nan Youngman 1906 to 1995 Painter and art educationist; Pictures for Schools
28 Jun Pearl Binder 1904 to 1990 Illustrator, lithographer and writer; Pearly Kings and Queens
29 Jun Ray Harryhausen 1920 to 2013 Stop-motion animator and model maker
30 Jun Denis Mitchell 1912 to 1993 Abstract sculptor; St Ives School
30 Jun Stanley Spencer 1891 to 1959 Painter of visionary and biblical scenes; Cookham

July

19 Jul John Bratby 1928 to 1992 Painter; Kitchen Sink realism
22 Jul Eric Ravilious 1903 to 1942 Watercolourist, wood engraver and designer; South Downs © Eric Ravilious Public Domain Mark
25 Jul Andy Goldsworthy Land artist and sculptor working with natural materials; Praemium Imperiale 2026 © Bride of Frankenstein from Williston, VT, United States of America CC BY 2.0
25 Jul Bryan Pearce 1929 to 2007 Naive painter of St Ives
27 Jul John Wells 1907 to 2000 Painter and maker of reliefs; St Ives School

August

4 Aug Laura Knight 1877 to 1970 Painter of theatre, circus and the coast; Newlyn School © Prabaasi Patrika Public Domain Mark
6 Aug Betty Rea 1904 to 1965 Sculptor and teacher; Artists' International Association
9 Aug Tove Jansson 1914 to 2001 Illustrator, painter and writer; the Moomins
11 Aug Margo Maeckelberghe 1932 to 2014 Painter of Cornish land and sea; Cornish Bard
14 Aug Mary Fedden 1915 to 2012 Painter; still lifes
15 Aug Richard Deacon Turner Prize winning sculptor of laminated wood and steel forms © Jindřich Nosek (NoJin)CC BY-SA 4.0
15 Aug Rose Hilton 1931 to 2019 Painter; interiors and figures, Cornwall
19 Aug Quentin Bell 1910 to 1996 Potter, sculptor and writer; Bloomsbury Group
23 Aug Keith Vaughan 1912 to 1977 Painter; figures in landscape, Neo-Romanticism
24 Aug Graham Sutherland 1903 to 1980 Painter, printmaker and designer; Neo-Romantic landscape
30 Aug Bob Crossley 1912 to 2010 Abstract painter; St Ives

September

8 Sep Bryan Wynter 1915 to 1975 Painter; St Ives School
14 Sep Sandra Blow 1925 to 2006 Abstract painter; St Ives
14 Sep Sven Berlin 1911 to 1999 Sculptor, painter and writer; St Ives
19 Sep James Holland 1905 to 1996 Illustrator, cartoonist and designer; Artists' International Association
21 Sep Kurt Jackson Painter of the Cornish landscape and environment, working outdoors in mixed media © studio international CC BY 3.0
25 Sep Tony O’Malley 1913 to 2003 Painter; St Ives, Ireland

October

5 Oct Robert Adams 1917 to 1984 Abstract sculptor and designer
8 Oct Beverly Buchanan 1940 to 2015 Sculptor and painter; Southern vernacular architecture
8 Oct Maurice Cockrill 1935 to 2013 Painter and poet; Keeper of the Royal Academy
9 Oct Don McCullin War photographer and photographer of the Somerset landscape
13 Oct Terry Frost 1915 to 2003 Abstract painter; St Ives School

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

Image credits