Mary Fedden, OBE RA RWA (1915 – 2012) was best known for her bold, vivid still lifes and her colourful views of Italy and North Africa. From 1932 to 1936 she studied at the Slade School of Fine Arts.

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When she finished her studies she became a teacher, painted portraits, and created stage designs for Sadler's Wells Theatre. She then returned to Bristol where she painted and taught until the onset of the Second World War. During the conflict, Fedden served in the Women's Land Army, the Women's Volantary Service, and as a driver for the NAAFI in Europe. She was also commissioned to create murals for the war effort. In the years after the War, Fedden developed her own style of flower paintings and still lifes, reminiscent of artists such as Matisse and Braque.