Diana “Dickie” Orpen – Surgeon’s Artist

The Orpen Archive of drawings within the BAPRAS Collection excites much interest, chiefly amongst artists themselves.

Orpen’s works represent exquisite and evocative examples of life art. They also form part of 20^th century visual arts history, an example of collaboration between artists and surgeons, which have largely been hidden from public view.

The works have however seen the light at two major exhibitions. Past BAPRAS Curator (Archivist) Brian Morgan, and Jeanne Woodcraft, Associate Lecturer in BA Drawing at Camberwell College of Arts collaborated to exbibit many works at Camberwell, and then the Royal College of Surgeons of England, between 2008 and2009.

Click here to view the exhibition booklet giving further insight into Dickie Orpen and her work.