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Patrick William Hall (1906-1992)
Patrick William Hall was born on 16 December 1906 in York. He attended Sedbergh School and knew from an early age that he wanted to be an artist, but was obliged to work for his family’s tannery business in Earswick. He attended York School of Art and studied printmaking. As a teenager, he assisted in the conservation of the stained glass at York Minster. It has been said this early experience is where his painterly interest in architecture, and particularly cathedrals, began.
In 1935 he married Mary Ebdon, and they travelled across Europe together.
Patrick would sketch and paint quickly en plein air with a wet brush, and finish the work afterward in his studio. He was a noted perfectionist, and it is written in his obituary that ‘he repeatedly destroyed his work and started again…He never allowed a work out of his studio unless he was absolutely happy with it’.
During the Second World War, Patrick Hall was commissioned by the War Artist’s Advisory Committee. The result of this was a series of watercolour works of RAF paratroopers training in Cheshire. It was only after the war, and the subsequent dissolution of the family tannery, that allowed him to move to London and pursue a full-time artistic career. He settled in South Kensington and joined the Chelsea Arts Club. Later, he would become its Secretary and made close friends amongst the artists there. He also participated in group shows with the Royal Scottish Academy and the New English Art Club. His work was first shown at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 1929, with a pencil drawing of York Minster. He would exhibit at the annual show regularly until 1961. Many galleries held regular solo exhibitions of Patrick Hall’s work, including the Waddington Galleries and Marjorie Parr Gallery in London.
In the early 1970’s Patrick moved to Ashford, Kent with his wife. He died on 10 June 1992. His work is held in the collections of the Guildhall and The Imperial War Museum in London, and the National Galleries of Australia and New Zealand.
Further reading: Robert Sandelson, ‘Obituary: Patrick Hall’, The Independent, Thursday 09 July 1992
