John Copley British 1875-1950
Athletes Dressing, 1912

£1,400

Lithograph
Signed (lower middle), from an edition of 20
23cm × 22cm (53cm × 43cm framed)

Born in Manchester, he trained at the School of Art there and in the studio of Nicol and Cope before entering the Royal Academy in London. Copley took up lithography in 1906 and in 1910 helped Joseph Pennell set up the Senefelder Club for the revival of lithography as a creative medium. He soon emerged as one of the pre-eminent lithographers working in England in the first half of the twentieth century. He produced over 250 lithographs in the period up to 1938, working initially in colour but then exclusively in black and white. In 1930 he was presented with the chief award and medal at the first International Exhibition of Lithography at the Art Institute of Chicago.

In 1947 Copley was honoured with election as the president of the Royal Society of British Artists. Examples of his work can be found in the collections of the British Museum, Yale Center for British Art, and the Victoria & Albert Museum, among many others.