A privileged upbringing allowed Kilkenny-born Mildred Anne Butler to travel to London in 1886 to study under Paul Jacob Naftel (1817-91) and later to Paris in 1894 where she joined the studio of Henri Gervex (1852-1929) for a time. She then travelled to Newlyn with Mary Guinness to study under Norman Garstin, returning there again in 1896. She exhibited at the Dudley Gallery in 1888 and in 1890 with the Royal Water Colour society of Ireland. She was included in the first exhibition of the Belfa
st Art Society, showed five works at the RHA and in 1896 had the rare honour of being included in the Royal Academy annual show where her presence was vastly outnumbered by those of male artists, and from which exhibition the Chantrey Bequest bought 'The Morning Bath'. Bulter’s work was represented in Hugh Lane’s exhibition at Guildhall in London in 1904, and three years later had a show with Percy French, Claude Hayes and Bingham McGuinness at the New Dudley Gallery.
She inherited the family estate of Kilmurry whose gardens and environs were to be the inspiration for her most successful work.
Butler's work was included in 'Irish Women Artists: 1870-1970' exhibition (2014). Please click here to view the catalogue.
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