Catherine Gardiner (27 April 1900 - 11 August 1982) was a British theatre actress, artists' model, amateur golfer and amateur artist. She was married to the portrait painter David Jagger RP, ROI (1891-1958).
Married life After her marriage in 1921 to David Jagger she changed the spelling of her first name to Katherine. Her only child, Brian, was born in November 1921, prior to which, she abandoned her career as a stage actress. ‘Kitty’ Jagger appeared in many of her husband's most accomplished works of the period, usually listed under a pseudonym. Portraits of her by her husband were exhibited with the principal exhibiting societies across London, most notably the Royal Academy where three large portraits of her were shown between 1923 and 1929 to great acclaim,21 April 1923 Yorkshire Post - (exh review) p.1524 April 1923 - Sheffield Independent ‘Effective Exhibits by Sheffield Artists’p.728 April 1926 Sheffield Independent - ‘Mrs. Jagger’s Triumph’ p.422 May 1926 Illustrated London News - RA. Pictorial Review ‘Eve’ illustrated p.8802 June 1926 The Bystander - ‘In the Academy’ (‘Eve’ illustrated) p.2016 June 1926 The Tatler ‘The Original and the Picture’ (‘Eve’ illustrated) p.94 May 1929 Aberdeen Journal p.7 those works being The Jade Necklace (1923), Eve (1925) and Mrs. David Jagger (1929). Eight further canvases were exhibited at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool between 1921 and 1928, two of which were acquired by municipal art galleries: Kathleen (1922) by the Williamson Art Gallery and Museum, and Needlework (1921) by the Walker Art Gallery where the work is currently listed as Sewing. Other portraits of her exhibited in London received widespread praise March 1921 The Studio March 1921 (Vol. 82 p.292-295) (‘On the Hilltop’ illustrated)January 1922 The Studio January 1922 (Vol.83 p.41) Royal Society of Portrait Painters exhibition review (‘Eileen’ illustrated)The Studio May 1924 (‘The White Cap’ illustrated)
Her photogenic beauty led to many images of her appearing in London society magazines, most notably the TatlerThe Tatler May 1930 ‘Mrs. David Jagger - The Artist’s Wife’The Tatler 23 October 1935 ‘Mr & Mrs. David Jagger at Home in Chelsea’ p.5The Tatler 18 March 1936 ‘Mr & Mrs David Jagger in Cannes’, p.9. 'Kitty' epitomised the roaring twenties in London and she was often compared to the American actress, Tallulah Bankhead. Throughout the decade she was captured by many leading of London's leading photographers. ‘Kitty’ was a keen amateur golfer who played on major courses in England, Scotland, France and Ireland. She was also a talented amateur artist and a connoisseur of antique furniture. In 1935 she was one of the organisers of a major touring exhibition, ‘Charles Sargeant Jagger - A Memorial Exhibition’ (1935–37).Charles Sargeant Jagger - A Memorial Exhibition’ Exhibition Catalogue 1935 Two portraits of her appeared in her husband's only London solo exhibition at the J. Leger & Son in 1935.‘Jagger’ J. Leger & Son, Old Bond Street, London W1 (1935) Exhibition Catalogue, Tate Gallery Archive, London In 1940, during the London Blitz she was lucky to survive when an adjoining property to her Chelsea home was destroyed by a bomb.
Principal portraits Works listed were painted by David Jagger unless indicated otherwise.
Lady in A Green Jacket (1919), private collection New Year's Morning in a Chelsea Studio (1919) by Sir Alfred Munnings, private collection On The Hilltop (1920), private collection Sketch for 'Needlework (1920/21), private collection Needlework (1921), Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool (National Museums Liverpool) Eileen (1921), untraced Pierette (1921), private collection The Yellow Jumper (1921), private collection The White Cap (1922), private collection Kathleen (1922), Williamson Art Gallery & Museum, Birkenhead, The Wirral The Yellow Breakfast Cup (1922), private collection Joan (1923), untraced Le Chapeau Noir (1923), private collection Study for 'The Jade Necklace (1922/23), private collection The Jade Necklace (1923), private collection Mrs. David Jagger (1925) by Sir Walter Westley Russell, private collection Eve (1925), private collection The Young Golfer (1927), private collection Mrs. David Jagger (), private collection Mrs. David Jagger (1930), private collection Mrs. David Jagger (1934), private collection Mrs. David Jagger (1935), private collection
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