The Life in Jersey exhibition was selected by artist and curator Laura Hudson from the distinguished Société Jersiaise art collection.
The exhibition focuses on Islanders’ lives, running throughout the Société Jersiaise staircase with a special focus on Edmund Blampied in the members’ room. The Edmund Blampied focus marks the occasion of a bequest of four Blampied artworks from the estate of the late Jean Bonhomme and will serve as inspiration for a new exhibition later in the summer.
Curator’s notes, “Rather than grand portraits of the great and the good, I have chosen to focus on Islanders’ working and domestic lives. From farmers to fishermen, smithies to quarries, horse racing to sea rescue, domestic food provision to caregiving. These are the roles often overlooked in historic paintings, yet these are the lives we might identify with today. We can relate to the details of other people’s lives through their labour, through the small individual actions, daily tasks, difficulties, and gatherings. A continuation of communities engaging with life on an island surrounded by sea. This selection offers a thoughtful glimpse into times past and considers how we might connect with the people and places of our past, from our perspective today”. Laura Hudson
Celebrating the Life & Legacy of Edmund Blampied (1886–1966)
Société Jersiaise is proud to commemorate the artistic legacy of Edmund Blampied, one of Jersey’s most distinguished and internationally celebrated artists, who had a long association and commitment to the Société throughout his life.
Portrait of Edmund Blampied, photographer unknown, Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive, SJPA/001307
Born in Saint Helier, Jersey, Edmund Blampied rose from modest beginnings to become a painter, illustrator, and etcher of remarkable talent and versatility. A scholarship to the Lambeth School of Art in London marked the beginning of his formal training, and he quickly established himself as an exceptional draughtsman. His early success led to a flourishing career in Britain, where his illustrations appeared in leading publications of the early 20th century.
Blampied became widely known for his evocative etchings and richly detailed illustrations that captured rural life with warmth, humour, and keen observation. His depictions of the people and landscapes of Jersey remain among the most cherished visual records of island life in the early 1900s. Through his art, he preserved the character, traditions, and spirit of a community in flux.
During the German occupation of the Channel Islands in the Second World War, Blampied remained in Jersey, where he continued to work under challenging circumstances. His resilience and dedication to his craft during this period further solidified his place in the island’s cultural history. Using his skills as an illustrator, Blampied created stamps and banknotes that incorporated hidden visual signs of resistance that became the Island’s seditious daily currency under occupation.
Edmund Blampied’s artistic legacy endures, not only in galleries and collections around the world, but in our shared cultural identity. His ability to blend technical mastery with humanity and wit ensures his work remains both historically significant and deeply relatable today.
Société Jersiaise would like to thank M M Ahmed for the generous loan of Blampied artworks and books from his collection for this exhibition.
With special thanks to: Rochelle Merhet & Max Le Feuvre (Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive), Helena Kergozou, Neil Mahrer & Harry Richards (Jersey Heritage) for their curatorial research, production and installation assistance.
To visit the Edmund Blampied Exhibition, please contact the office in advance, as the exhibition room is not always open. The ‘Life in Jersey’ Exhibition, however, is available to view Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.
Tel – Louise 758314 hello@societe.je
Société Jersiaise, 7 Pier Road, St Helier, Jersey JE2 4XW
