MARY FLORENCE MONKHOUSE (c. 1860-1946)

Florence Monkhouse – she preferred her middle name – was one of the founding members of the Manchester Society of Women Painters along with Annie and Isabel, twice having works exhibited at the Royal Academy. In the 1880s and 1890s she shared a studio in Manchester with Isabel Dacre [1], and in 1891 wrote a piece, “Drawing Lessons,” for The Parents’ Review magazine.

There are two works of Florence’s in public collections that I am aware of, and contactees of this site have very kindly allowed me to reproduce works from their private collections, as well as a couple of works having appeared with illustrations at online auction. This brings the total number of works by Florence for which there are images to eleven [2].

[1] The address was 10 Kings Street, Manchester, from records from 1881, 1883, 1891 and 1898.

[2] I have not had the opportunity to see one of the public gallery works, but hope to do so soon and add an image of the work to this page.

Exhibitions:

  • 1884 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition – 165. Boy’s head / Miss Mary F. Monkhouse / 193 Great Clowes-street, Manchester.
  • Feb 1887 – Manchester Academy Annual Exhibition – “one or two simple figure-subjects, remarkable for their interesting treatment.”
  • 1891 The New Gallery – 33. The Banner. “A Maiden in dark-blue dress and crimson cap sitting at work, embroidering a white banner.”
  • 1891 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition – 616. The blackberry-gatherers / F. Monkhouse / 10 South King-street, Manchester.
  • 1893 ‘Several watercolours’ at the Manchester Academy of Art exhibition.
  • 1894 Manchester Literary Club – “… at the Grand Hotel … a small but interesting collection of oil paintings, water-colour drawings, and pencil and pen-and-ink sketches … Its distinctive feature was a collection of works by women artists of Manchester – Miss Mary Breakell, Miss S, Isabel Dacre, Miss Magnus, Miss Rose Magnus, Miss Florence Monkhouse, Mrs. Wroe, and Miss E. Gertrude Thomson.
  • 1898 “Exhibition of pictures by S. Isabel Dacre, M. F. Monkhouse and F. Sugars.” at 10 South King Street. Manchester Courier and General Advertiser, 18 Nov 1898.

(The images below are watermarked to reduce the possibility of commercial exploitation.)

A gateway of Laon [La Port d’Ardon, Laon (a city 70 miles/110 km north-east of Paris)]
A Manchester Playground. (Private collection.)
Scene with cottage, water and hanging leafy branches. (Private collection.)
Manchester – canal scene. (Private collection.)
Mountain scene with water. (Private collection.)
Mountain scene. (Private collection.)
Oxford scene. (Location unknown.)
Portrait of a girl with a dog. (Location unknown.)
Canal scene, Manchester. (Location unknown.)
Portrait of Mrs. Amy Brooke. (Newnham Collage.)