Dr. Francis Arthur Brodribb MRCS LRCP, and his wife, Gladys Minola Brodribb had been members of the Reading Guild of Artists since the beginning in 1930 and were described as ‘pillars’ of the Guild. Both she and her husband were artists of note who had exhibited at leading national galleries.

Jumble was exhibited at the Reading Guild of Artists 17th Annual Exhibition, Municipal Art Gallery, Reading, May 10 – June 6, 1947. Dr. Francis Brodribb was probably best remembered, and admired, for his still life paintings in ‘masterly 3-D realism’. Fellow RGA member Leslie Windsor said on visiting Brodribb at his home in Bucklebury ‘I was particularly interested in his studio where he was doing one of his attractive still life arrangements of flowers, berries, leaves, and grasses. He told me that when he retired he became the oldest student at Reading University Art Department.’

Other works exhibited in this year were ‘The Dispensary’, ‘Death the Leveller’ and ‘Oak Apples’, all in Oil.

Fellow member William Wilder recollected in 1980 that Dr. Brodribb’s distinctive still-life paintings would be remembered by older members. ‘He liked to be among young people and joined the art classes at the University. I remember he was alarmed at some students eating an apple whilst using lead white paint ‘highly poisonous and dangerous’, he declared!’

In the catalogue of 1963, it states ‘The Guild regret the loss of one of its original members and well-known artists Dr. F. A. Brodribb of the Cottage, Bucklebury, who died on 3rd August 1962. He exhibited every year from 1930 to 1962.