Victoria Crowe

Victoria Elizabeth Crowe (born 8 May 1945) is a Scottish artist known for her portrait and landscape paintings. She has works in several collections including the National Galleries of Scotland, the National Portrait Gallery, London, and the Royal Scottish Academy.

Life Victoria Crowe was born in Kingston-on-Thames on 8 May 1945 and educated at Ursuline Convent Grammar School, London. She studied at Kingston College of Art from 1961 to 1965, before undertaking further study at the Royal College of Art in London from 1965 to 1968. On the strength of her postgraduate exhibition, she was invited to teach at Edinburgh College of Art by Robin Philipson, head of drawing and painting. She worked at ECA from 1968 to 1998 as a part-time lecturer in drawing and painting, while also developing her own artistic practice.

She and her husband Michael Walton settled at Kittleyknowe near Carlops in the Pentland Hills, Scotland, Her son died in 1995. They set up a trust in his name to raise awareness and funds to tackle oral cancers in young people. She has produced many individual portraits, including RD Laing, Kathleen Raine, Tam Dalyell, and Peter Higgs.

Her work includes the series A Shepherd's Life, painted between 1970 and 1985 and first shown at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh in 2000, which portrays the life of Jenny Armstrong, an elderly shepherd from the Scottish Borders who was Crowe's neighbour at Kittleyknowe. One of the works in the series, Two Views, was converted into a tapestry by Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh, commissioned by Richard Scott, 10th Duke of Buccleuch.

Her first solo exhibition was held in 1983 at the Thackeray Gallery, London, where she would continue to exhibit regularly until 2007.

Between 1970 and 1985, Crowe undertook study trips to Russia, Denmark and Finland. 2009: Awarded Doctor Honoris Causa (DHC), University of Aberdeen 2010: Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Member of the Royal Scottish Academy

Selected exhibitions 1989: Bruton Gallery, Bath 2009: Fine Art Society, London 2019: Victoria Crowe: 50 Years of Painting, City Art Centre, Edinburgh

Collections Crowe's work is held in a wide range of collections, including: National Galleries of Scotland: Portraits including Callum Macdonald (1996), Graham Crowden (1996) and Winifred Rushforth (1982) National Portrait Gallery, London: Portraits of Kathleen Raine (1986) and Dame Janet Vaughan (1986) Royal Scottish Academy National Trust for Scotland: Portrait of Lord Wemyss (1989) St John's College, Oxford: Portrait of Professor Bill Hayes (1991) National Museum of Scotland: Large Tree Group tapestry (2012), produced in collaboration with Dovecot Tapestry Studios, Edinburgh Royal Society of Edinburgh: Portraits of Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell (2016) and Professor Peter Higgs (2013) St Catharine's College, Cambridge: Portrait of Professor David Ingram (2003)