PURBECK sculptor Mary Spencer Watson has seen her life's works become the subject of an exhibition.

Born in 1913, Mary Spencer Watson's first experience of sculpting stone was as a teenager in the working quarries of Purbeck.

Her contribution to 20th century art is being recognised with a sculpture retrospective at Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum and Salisbury Cathedral, which runs until December 4.

At 91, Mary Spencer Watson is still working at her home at Harman's Cross near Swanage - the site of a Medieval quarry which provided the columns of Purbeck blue marble at Salisbury Cathedral.

Her works are best known within some of England's great cathedrals, including Salisbury's, and the exhibition confirms her as one of this country's significant figurative carvers.

She said: "It's a wonderful occasion for any sculptor to have a retrospective and for me to have one at my age is especially wonderful.

"It's like having a needle's eye view of my entire life's work all together.

"Seeing it all together, it's changed a lot - I was very keen to have variety in my work and not get bogged down in a rut. I always kept that at the forefront of my mind."

Mary Spencer Watson's parents were both artists who embraced much of the philosophy of the arts and crafts movement and the work of the artisan.

"We came here in 1923 when I was 10 and we started buying stone from the quarries," she explained.

"I fell in love with them and I was always up there with the men.

"I was about 13 when Titus Lander at Lander's quarry showed me how to carve.

"As my father was a Royal Academician, he wanted me properly trained so I went to RA schools, the Slade and the Central School.

"I was taught by John Skeaping, the very well-known animal sculptor married to Barbara Hepworth, and then I went to Paris where I was taught by Ossip Zadkine."

The exhibition features more than 50 sculptures showing the development of her career.

"It is the most wonderfully curated exhibition and it is in the most wonderful setting," she added.

First published: Oct 11