Anna Zinkeisen British, 1901-1976

Anna Zinkeisen (1901-1976) was a Scottish-born artist, muralist and designer whose work comprises a wide range of media and has been influenced by her experiences during the two World Wars. Born in Kilcreggan, Zinkeisen’s family moved to Middlesex when she was around eight years old. In 1916, she began studying art at the Harrow School of Arts before gaining a scholarship to study sculpture at The Royal Academy alongside her sister, Doris. After leaving the Royal Academy, Zinkeisen worked with the famous Wedgewood pottery company as a ceramicist but later changed the focus of her artistic practice. In 1935, she, along with Doris, painted a mural for the RMS Queen Mary and for the RMS Queen Elizabeth in 1940. Her other work included book illustrations, magazine covers and posters for Transport for London.

During the First World War, Zinkeisen had trained as a voluntary nurse with the St. John Ambulance. With the advent of the Second World War, she again took up the role of a voluntary nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in London where she used an abandoned operating theatre to practice her art in the afternoon. It is during this time that she refined her anatomical drawing, producing a series of pathological and clinical works depicting war injuries for the Royal College of Surgeons. Zinkeisen is also prominently known for her portraits which reflect not only her expertise in terms of technique and skill, but also capture the subject’s essence in a notable manner. Some of her famous portraits include the ones depicting Alexander Fleming and Archibald McIndoe, as well as a self-portrait that captures her experience of being both a nurse and an artist. Through her practice, Zinkeisen evoked vivid emotions of joy, despair, hope and pleasure.