BIOGRAPHY

Fred Dubery was educated at Whitgift Grammar School, Croydon. After conscription into the army, 1944-1948, he studied at the Croydon Art School and thence was awarded a place for further study at the Royal College of Art, 1950-1953.

After graduation, he taught part-time at various art colleges, enabling him to concentrate on his own painting. He exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy from 1951 and at the historic New English Art Club, being elected a member in 1956.

He became a visiting tutor at the Royal Academy schools, invited by the keeper, Peter Greenham R.A.; and was appointed Professor of Perspective there in 1984. Prior to this appointment, Fred Dubery had been among a talented group of young painters teaching part-time at the Walthamstow School of Art from 1958. He left to become tutor at the Royal College of Art, making sure he always had five days a week for his own work and to prepare for his one-man shows. He was known as "a painter's painter" by his subsequently famous peers, among whom were Euan Uglow, Jack Smith, Tony Eyton, Ken Howard and Fred Cuming. Fred Dubery always insisted that his work "spoke for itself" and with no pompous statements of "intent"; to achieve mood and mystery and a sense of air by paint, was far more important.

Fred's subtle understatement and handling of light, plus his quiet scholarship, underpins all his work, gaining admiration from all his students over the years. He was generous with his time and knowledge. In the tradition of Chardin, Vuillard and Bonnard, he was known and appreciated as an intimist and colourist.

Together with his friend, John Williatts, Fred was author of two books, "Drawing Systems" and "Perspective and other Systems" exhibiting his deep interest in the problem.

Cultivated, with a love of music and literature, he was devoted to Italy, especially Venice, from his first student travels, and on marrying Joanne Brogden in France, they drove through the Palladian Veneto and Venice and down to Pompeii.

France was also of infinite interest and during vacations they sought out the areas that influenced many French painters; Courbet, Cezanne, Monet, Renior, Bonnard and Matisse.

Fred Dubery exhibited in mixed shows at many galleries; The R.A., the N.E.A.C and also had one-man shows at the Trafford Gallery and later with the New Grafton.

A Retrospective Exhibition (January 24th-February 28th 2013) of over sixty works was mounted at Clare Hall, Cambridge, by invitation from the Arts Committee and put forward by Francis Spalding, art historian and writer.