The Prints of Viola Paterson

Viola Paterson (1899-1981) was a Scottish artist, whose printmaking formed a significant part of her oeuvre. Schooled at the Slade School of Fine Art (c.1917-18) and the Glasgow School of Art (1919-23), Paterson went on to study at L'Académie de la Grand Chaumière in Paris where she became proficient across various printmaking techniques. Paterson is particularly noted for her etchings and wood engravings, often produced in small editions.

Paterson's prints explored a range of subjects, from the observed world around her to more imaginative compositions. Well read and with a passion for poetry, she produced engravings for books that included depictions of both religious and mythological themes. In Eve and the Serpent (c.1930), we see Eve being seduced by the serpent as Adam innocently plays with a small animal in the background. The sense of intimacy and sensuality was a feature of much of her wood engravings during the 1930s, as can be seen in Lovers on a Mountain Top (c.1933) and the Mosquito Net (c.1930). Her Scottish background also proved a big influence with highland themes seen in many of her prints from the period. Whilst Paterson lived in France through much of the late 1930s, she returned to Britain in 1941 and began working at the Admiralty in Oxford. Her prints, at this time, moved into depictions of the everyday experience of wartime life, from military music concerts to dramatic depictions of the blitz.

Paterson exhibited widely throughout her career, including at the Royal Academy, Royal Scottish Academy, and the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts. Her prints are also held in many prestigious collections including the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum