Sally Arnup (15 July 1930 – 22 December 2015)^[1] was an English sculptor known for her depictions of animals.^[5] Her studios were located at Holtby, a village near York.^[6]

Biography

Arnup was born in London and began studying at the Kingston School of Art at the age of thirteen.^[7] She later studied at Camberwell College of Arts and the Royal College of Art where she was taught by both Frank Dobson and John Skeaping.^[8][9] In 1955 she won the Royal Society of British Sculptors' Feodora Gleichen Award for women artists.^[10] From 1958 to 1972 Arnup was the Head of Sculpture at York College of Art.^[7] Her husband Mick Arnup also taught art at the college.^[9] Both Sally Arnup and her husband retired from teaching in 1974 to focus on their artistic careers.^[11]

Artworks

Arnup's speciality as an artist was for bronze animal sculptures, often created with the live animal present.^[8] Among Arnup's most notable commissions was a work for the Duke of Edinburgh’s 80th Birthday, depicting his Fell Pony Storm.^[5] In 1971 she cast a silver leopard which was presented to HM Queen Elizabeth II by the City of York.^[8] A life-sized sculpture of an Irish Wolfhound by Arnup was posthumously donated to the York Art Gallery in 2017.^[9] She regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy in London, with the Royal Society of British Artists, with the Royal Scottish Academy and at the Paris Salon.^[8] In 1968 the University of York hosted a solo exhibition of her work as did Gainsborough House in Suffolk during 1998.^[10] The Arnup Studio where both Sally and Mick Arnup worked, was opened to the public in 2011 as part of York Open Studios.^[12]

Death

In 2015 at the age of 85, Arnup suffered a stroke while modelling a horse for a large scale sculpture at stables near Thirsk.^[6] She later died in York Hospital from septicaemia.^[6]

Works in collections