Richard Beer (1928-2017)
Richard Beer was both a painter and a printmaker. His works were mostly architectural or landscape, and he was inspired in particular by Italian and French subjects, displaying a distinctive eye for detail on the buildings he captured and a talent for evoking the atmosphere of a scene. He studied at the Slade School of Art (1945-50) subsequently moving to Paris on a French Government Scholarship where he studied briefly at the Ecole des Beaux Arts before moving on to the world famous atelier 17 run by Stanley William Hayter, where he no doubt honed his fine skills on the medium of etching. He was teacher of printmaking at Chelsea School of Art for 40 years and a founder member of the Printmakers Council. During his holidays, he travelled widely throughout Italy, France, Spain and Morocco, prolifically sketching and painting the rural and architectural landscapes that inspired him. His sketches would be brought home to his studio in Primrose Hill, London where they would provide inspiration for etchings or the basis for his oil paintings. He held many one man shows and was a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy. His work is held in many collections including the Tate, Victoria and Albert Museum and the Government Art Collection.