Susan Ryder NEAC (b. 1944)

              Susan Ryder is a distinguished British artist renowned for her atmospheric interior scenes and portraiture. Born in Windsor, Berkshire, she was introduced to painting at a young age by her father, Robert Ryder VC, a talented amateur artist. Her early exposure to art, combined with her father's influence, sparked her lifelong passion for painting. Ryder studied at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London from 1960 to 1964, where she was mentored by notable artists including New English Art Club (NEAC) member Bernard Dunstan (1920-2017) and Maurice de Sausmarez (1915-69). Dunstan introduced her to the works of Édouard Vuillard (1868-1940), whose intimate interiors and subtle use of light significantly influenced her artistic style. At just eighteen years old, she exhibited at the Royal Academy, marking the beginning of her professional art career. Since this auspicious beginning Ryder has established a reputation as one of the most accomplished figurative painters of her generation in Britain.

Ryder's work is characterised by its masterful use of light and colour, capturing the ambiance of domestic, lived-in spaces. She often portrays interiors bathed in subtle lamplight, creating a rich interplay of shadows and glow that suggests both presence and memory. Common motifs include drapery over furniture, sunlight streaming through windows, and reflections on polished surfaces, evoking calm, contemplative moments. Ryder's paintings evoke a sense of intimacy and tranquillity. Her portraits often depict sitters within their personal environments, blending likeness with atmosphere. She employs a distinctive technique, beginning with a pencil sketch to determine composition, followed by a layered application of oil paints using round hog brushes. Ryder has openly cited Édouard Vuillard and other post-impressionists, as a major influence, and it shows in her work’s compositional layering, colour harmonies, and her interest in domestic subject matter. Like Vuillard, she emphasizes the texture and mood of interior life rather than precise realism. Her style manages to blend Impressionist sensitivity, post-Impressionist structure, and British observational nuance.

Ryder's portraiture has garnered significant recognition. In 1981, she was commissioned by the then HRH The Prince of Wales to paint Diana, Princess of Wales, in her wedding dress. Later, in 1997, she painted a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II for the Royal Automobile Club's Centenary. Her scenes of domestic interiors are popular amongst collectors of contemporary British painting. She has exhibited extensively, including at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions, and has held solo exhibitions at venues such as Panter & Hall and W.H. Patterson Gallery. Her works are held in various public and private collections, including the Royal Hospital Chelsea and Girton College, University of Cambridge. She was elected a member of the NEAC in 1980 and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters in 1992. She served as Vice President of the latter from 2002 to 2008.