Who was in The Bloomsbury Group of Artists?

Dorothy Parker, wit and friend of the Bloomsbury Group, famously said, 'They live in squares, paint in circles and love in triangles.' This fascinating collection of friends and relatives was not a formal group but an influential circle of extraordinarily talented intellectuals, writers, and artists. They lived, worked and studied in the Bloomsbury area near The British Museum during the early 20th century. Known for their progressive views on art, literature, and society, the Group's members rejected established Victorian norms, embracing modernist ideas while promoting each other and the importance of the arts.

^{Vanessa Bell, Design for Rug 1938}

^{Sold for £4,800}

The core artists in the Bloomsbury group were Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, and Roger Fry. However, others like Dora Carrington and Wyndham Lewis are also associated with the Group. Bell, Grant, and Fry became famous for breathing fresh life into the stuffy art world of Victorian England. They were instrumental in introducing Picasso, Matisse, and Cezanne to British audiences, shaping 20th Century art and design. Pioneering new techniques and styles, they had a diverse output, spanning paintings, murals, book jackets and textiles.

Bell's work is characterised by its vibrant use of colour and form. After she visited the first significant exhibition of Post Impressionist painting in England (1910-11), which Fry organised, her style changed towards abstraction, featuring planes of colour and texture instead of 'detail' in a rejection of portraiture and formalism. Her contributions to the Omega Workshops (1913-16), a decorative arts enterprise that used simple, bold, and colourful designs for textiles, pottery, furniture, and interior design, were particularly notable. Also noteworthy within the Group, was that their work and love lives were intertwined inextricably, and Bell had affairs with Fry and Grant, the latter to last most of her life.

^{Percy Wyndham Lewis, Portrait of Miss Edith Evans 1932}

^{Sold for £2,000}

Duncan Grant was a Scottish artist known for his paintings, textiles, murals and interior design. From early commissions to create murals for the dining room of what is now South Bank University, to the extraordinary interior he created with Bell at Charleston Farmhouse in Sussex, and others, he had a diverse output. Exhibiting at the second Post Impressionist exhibition in 1912, as well as designing sets and costumes for theatrical productions. Heavily influenced by Matisse, whom he met in 1909, as well as Cezanne and Picasso, Grant's 'knack for catching human idiosyncrasies betrayed by pose, dress or movement' (Spalding, Duncan Grant: A Biography) has resulted in work noted for its bold use of colour and sensitivity to light and form.

^{Duncan Grant, Rooftops}

^{Sold for £1,800}

Grant and Bell were involved with Roger Fry, an influential art critic and painter. Fry's advocacy for Post-Impressionism (a self-coined term) was largely panned by the establishment at the time but was pivotal in shaping modern art appreciation.  First and foremost, an art critic, Fry was a polymath whose painting reflected that of his hero, Cezanne.

Works by members of the Bloomsbury Group have achieved significant success at auctions, reflecting their enduring appeal and market value. Dawsons have extensive experience selling work by Grant and Bell, most recently a framed design for a rug by Bell, which reached £4800 in February 2025.

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Veronique Scorer

 

Veronique has worked within her chosen specialism for nearly 30 years, firstly with Sotheby’s and latterly with Bonhams as a Director and Head of Pictures at Bonhams Knightsbridge, and she would be delighted to help provide valuations and sales advice in respect of any pictures and paintings you may be considering selling or buying.

 

Paintings Prints Watercolours

Are you thinking of selling artwork by any members of the Bloomsbury Group?

With access to a global audience of over 10 million known bidders, Dawsons can secure the best prices.

Get in touch with an expert Valuer for confidential sales advice, we would be delighted to help:

 0207 431 9445 / info@dawsonsauctions.co.uk