11 Facts About Flora Lion

Flora Marguerite Lion was an English portrait painter.

Flora Lion was born in London to Jewish Anglo-Franco parents.

Flora Lion's family was related to the Solomon family, a wealthy and cultured Jewish family that produced the artists Solomon Joseph Solomon and Lily Delissa Joseph.

Flora Lion studied art at the St John's Wood Art School in 1894 before receiving further training at the Royal Academy Schools between 1895 and 1899, where her tutors included John Singer Sargent.

Flora Lion then attended the Academie Julian in Paris throughout 1899 and 1900.

Flora Lion was more of a successful artist then Amato, and he was described in one source at the time as the husband of Flora Lion.

In Bradford Flora Lion painted women working in a munitions factory, but unusually depicted them during a meal break in their works canteen, which were a war-time innovation for Britain.

However, the Museum had little, if any, money available to purchase new artworks and so refused to accept the paintings despite Flora Lion offering them at only 150 guineas each.

Flora Lion was one of three women artists, alongside Anna Airy and Dorothy Coke, considered for commissions by the British War Memorials Committee but the BWMC did not acquire any paintings from any of them.

Ten portraits by Flora Lion are in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Flora Lion received the Gold Medal from the Societe des Artistes Francais in 1949.