Another artist's studio, or rather a corner of one. Corner of the Artist's Studio with paintbox on a Windsor chair is by Phoebe Willetts-Dickinson (1917-1978) and is for sale here. She studied at the Birmingham School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools until 1940 before serving in the land army during WWII. She was a lifelong campaigner for peace, social justice and the ordination of women – issues which influenced many of her paintings. 

The Artist's Studio, La Vieille Chapelle, La Boissiere, Châteaudun is by Albert de Belleroche (1864-1944). 'La Boissière was an inn near Châteaudun where Belleroche stayed when he painted in the countryside. This painting provides a rare record in colour of his studio as it appeared circa 1910, the walls decorated with paintings by Belleroche and his friends – clearly identifiable is the Lautrec poster of La Revue Blanche (top right). Toulouse-Lautrec and Belleroche were exact contemporaries, who first met at the age of 18. Belleroche painted Toulouse-Lautrec's portrait and shared with him a passion for the model Lili, who epitomised the Belle Epoch aesthetic of Toulouse-Lautrec's most celebrated posters. Lili became Belleroche's favourite model and mistress. When he was 18 Belleroche also met John Singer Sargent, they became life-long friends. Sargent's handling of pastel was a great inspiration to Belleroche, while Belleroche's sensitivity to tone and creation of form through the modeling of light exerted a strong influence on Sargent.' The Artist's Studio is for sale here. 

Landscape around Stroud is by Rudolph Sauter (1895-1977) who moved to Stroud in 1950, living at Fort William, Butterow. He was a painter, printmaker, illustrator and poet whose father was an artist; John Galsworthy was his uncle  – if any Persephone reader has not read The Forsyte Saga they should, and are in for a treat – Rudolph painted his portrait in 1927. He exhibited widely but much of his work was destroyed by a fire in the 1980s, however there is a significant collection in private hands in South Africa. 

The Staff Room, Harlech College c 1932 'was originally part of a mural by Robert Baker (1909-92) who was commissioned, aged only 23, to paint murals at the Welsh working men’s college, the largest provider of adult community learning in Wales. The first series of murals consisted of portraits of Welsh 'types', the second series  (eleven detachable pictures, five of which were portrait and six of which were landscape), showed scenes from the daily life of the school, based on a loose narrative sequence of the young miner leaving home to go to the college and his subsequent experience there. Either side of this central composition were four arch top panels, representing staff in the Library, staff in the Common Room, students in a dormitory and students preparing for a theatrical performance. (But how sad that the murals have been/are being sold off. If anyone wants to buy this characterful painting, it's for sale here.)

This week: five paintings from the always excellent online shop/art gallery curated by Liss Llewellyn. All the paintings are, or were, for sale here. First of all, Mary Gwenillan Gibson (1888-1966)  Portrait of Gwynneth, Wife of T. Huxley Jones, 1932.'Mary Gibson was born in Wolverhampton, the daughter of a pharmacist, and studied at her local School of Art and at the nearby Birmingham School of Art. She was subsequently active as an artist from c.1912 onwards and showed her work as a painter, bookbinder and leather worker at the Royal Academy, Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, and at the Walker Art Gallery. She also taught leatherwork design and bookbinding at Wolverhampton School of Art. She was active as an artist until at least the early 1940's and her death was recorded in Devon. Wolverhampton Arts and Heritage have a painting by her in their collection.'

Berenice Abbot (1898-1991) worked in Paris and New York. Her work was included in many influential exhibitions, including the Salon de l’escalier, 1928; Fotografie der Gegenwart, 1929; Film und Foto, 1929; and Photographs 1839-1937; as well as in a solo-exhibition in 1932. In 1970 MOMA hosted a retrospective of her work.

Gerda Taro (1910––1937) was a pioneering photo-journalist whose brief career consisted almost exclusively of dramatic photographs from the front lines of the Spanish Civil War, working alongside Robert Capa. While covering the crucial battle of Brunete in July 1937 she was struck by a tank and killed. Her photographs, many of which can be seen here, are a striking but little-known contribution to the history of war photography.