Sophia Rosamund Praeger HRHA HRUA

Sophia Rosamund Praeger (1867-1954) was an Irish artist, sculptor, poet and writer who was born in Holywood, County Down. She received her education at the Belfast School of Art under George Trobridge, joining the Rambler’s Sketching Club (1886), and the Slade School of Art in London, studying under Alphonse Legros. Afterwards she spent some time in Paris to study further. In 1907 she received her first major commission, a memorial to T. Hamilton for Queen’s University Belfast. Praeger wrote and illustrated a number of children’s books but is best known for her sculptures, which also often featured children.
The artist showed work frequently at the Belfast Art Society, the Royal Hibernian Academy, the Irish Decorative Arts Association, the Arts and Crafts Society of Ireland and was a member of the Guild of Irish Art-Workers. She received an honorary MA from Queen’s University in 1938 and an MBE in 1939.