Peter Collins ARCA

Provenance: The Late Peter & Georgette Collins Collection - 'The Contents of Stanley Studios, Chelsea'

Peter Collins was born in 1923 and his first job was in the commercial studio of an advertising agency, during which time he attended art school in the evening. His career was interrupted by World War II and in 1943, he entered the army, serving in the Royal Artillery where he was attached to the Education Corps teaching Painting and Drawing and also holding an appointment as part-time teacher at St. Martin’s School of Art.

In 1975 Collins acquired Stanley Studios in Chelsea, which was scheduled for demolishment and redevelopment. Purpose built artist studios were converted into single residence and over the next two decades they filled the spaces with paintings, antiques, curios and sculpture. Stanley Studios boasted a considerable cultural pedigree, having been a work space for artists such as Jack Smith, Rodrigo Moynihan and Elizabeth Frink. This fine collection harks back to a golden age when Georgette and Peter Collins were immersed in Chelsea’s Bohemian art scene.