Winifred Gill: A Bloomsbury Pioneer

Collage watercolour work of a figure dancing; the bulk of the image is taken up with a large orange shawl that is swirling through the scene, as if dancing itself. 'Shawl Dance' is written in the bottom right corner in orange writing. i Winifred Gill (1891-1981), Toy design - Shawl Dance,1914-16, graphite, watercolour and bodycolour on wove paper. The Bodleian, Oxford © Bodleian, Oxford

14 Oct 2026 – 10 Feb 2027
Project Space

Discover an overlooked innovator of the Bloomsbury group, Winifred Gill.

This display will spotlight the artist Winifred Gill (1891-1981), through works held in The Courtauld’s collection. Although a gifted artist and a central figure at Roger Fry’s avant-garde Omega Workshops, Gill’s contributions have since remained largely overlooked. She studied at the Slade before joining the Workshops as a designer, maker and, for a time, business manager.

On display will be a number of Gill’s inventive toy designs for the Omega Workshops, as well as a remarkable still life painting made around this time that is deeply characteristic of the Bloomsbury style in its bold response to colour and form. Later prints will show how Gill’s style developed in the 1920s while working as a teacher of arts and crafts in the pioneering Bristol and Manchester University Settlements. Sketchbooks and printing materials will offer a deeper understanding of her practice.

This display is included in the Permanent Collection or Permanent Collection + Exhibition ticket. Tickets go on sale in 2026. Sign up to our newsletter to be among the first to hear about exhibitions, events and news.

14 Oct 2026 - 10 Feb 2027

10:00 - 18:00 (last entry 17:15)

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