Prunella Clough

Woman in a Factory

About this artwork

A couple of years before this work was made, Prunella Clough and fellow artist Ghisha Koenig (1921–1993) began together visiting factories across England. Although it was often tricky to gain permission to enter, Clough later said: ‘We found that two strange women “sketching” were soon ignored and left to wander around.’ She then visited several printing works in 1953. This drawing is a study for a painting in the collection called Printer Cleaning Press. It captures the worker absorbed in the task of cleaning the printing press with a rag. The surrounding factory is described using simple modular shapes that have been sketched quickly in charcoal.

Published September 2022

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Prunella Clough

Prunella Clough