Lucy Dawson Biography

Lucy Elizabeth Dawson (1876-1958) was a British artist known for her paintings and sketches of canines of all breeds.

Born Lucy Elizabeth Pockett on 22nd November 1876 in Colwall, Herefordshire, to parents Lucy and Peter, a licensed victualler (pub landlord), Dawson resided in England throughout her life. She married Cyril John Dawson (b.1874), a bank cashier, in 1904, and they had one son, Richard Cyril Dawson (b.1904).

Throughout her career, she created personalised portraits of mostly dogs, even being commissioned by the Royal family to produce numerous portraits of their family pets. Though the terrier breed seems to be most present in her sketches, this could be due to the popularity of the breed in England at that time. In her sketches, the dog in the scene was the centre of the focus, with very few background objects to distract from the subject.

She created her scenes through pencil, ink, pen and oil, although she was best known for her pastels. Occasionally, she used the pseudonym “Mac” for her drawings. Dawson published a set of dog postcards called the Tailwagger series through Valentine’s and Sons.

Dawson died on 7th June 1958 in Hertfordshire. Her death date is widely shown online as being 1954; however, this is incorrect. Her death, in 1958, was reported by her son, Richard Cyril Dawson.

Books Illustrated by Dawson:-

Dogs As I See Them (1936)

Dogs Rough and Smooth (1937)

Neighbours (1946)