Born. 1931 in London; Died. 1991 in Suffolk, England

Painter, etcher and draughtsman of architecture; also still-life subjects and landscapes.

Valerie Thornton studied at the Byam Shaw School of Art in 1949, before attending the Regent Street Polytechnic between 1950 and 1953. Thornton then went to Paris to study under the esteemed printmaker, Stanley William Hayter at the Atelier 17. She exhibited and spent long periods in between London and the USA. In London she exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1965 and elected an Association of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers in 1968, receiving her full membership in 1970. She was a founder-member of the Printmaker’s Council in 1965.

Thornton is best known for her distinct style of printmaking, often depicting a variety of architectural studies. She frequently incorporates muted colours and textured surfaces which ideally lend themselves to architectural studies of gothic church interiors and ancient farm buildings from across Europe.

Thornton's prints are well collected and she is represented by a number of public collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, British Museum and Government Art Collection.

(Benjamin Angwin - October 2014)