By Graham Dixon
Walking through the picturesque churchyard in Limpsfield, many visitors seek out the grave of the composer, Frederick Delius (1862-34). Sadly, it’s almost forgotten that his wife, Jelka Rosen (1868-1935), who also lies there, was an accomplished artist. While the gravestone commemorates Frederick as ‘composer’, only Jelka’s name is given.
When the Limpsfield Arts Society asked me last year whether I could give a talk about Delius, I found myself becoming more interested in rediscovering this woman artist, rather than trying to say something new about the well-documented composer.
Jelka was born in Belgrade of German parents, and she clearly developed a determined character. She persuaded her widowed mother to move to Paris with her, so that she could advance her study of painting. Subsequently, she convinced her to purchase a house in Grez-sur-Loing, just south of Paris; the previous owner had permitted her to paint in the extensive garden.
If you visit Grez-sur-Loing, and see the plaque on the house recalling Delius the composer, you shouldn’t forget that it was really Jelka’s house. They met at a dinner in Paris, where he was starting out as a composer, and she as an artist. Following a trip to Florida, possibly to locate a child he had fathered while living there, the composer appeared on the doorstep with the words ‘I suppose you can put me up’. For the sake of decency, he slept a few doors away at first, and finally, in 1903 they married.
Grez was attractive to artists since it was accessible to Paris by train, meaning they could easily return to exhibit their works. The charming village and surrounding countryside allowed artists to work in the open air, painting the natural world, something that had become possible due to the introduction of oil paint in tubes. When artists moved from Paris into the countryside, they first took over the village of Barbizon; from about 1860, they progressed down the train line to Grez. Around this time, we have the first evidence of painting at Grez, Corot’s depiction of the majestic bridge.
In Paris, Jelka enrolled at the art school, where Gauguin, Mucha and later Modigliani also studied. Paris in the late 19th Century was the centre of the art world. Jelka established friendships with Edvard Munch, Mucha, Rodin and Gauguin, as well as the musicians Fauré and Ravel. Her works are striking in their use of impressionist, pointillist techniques. But what amazed me more than anything, when I saw two paintings of Grez exhibited in the town hall there, was her frankly fluorescent use of colour.
Sadly, the locations for most of her paintings are unknown – only one seems to be displayed in the UK, a canvas of an elderly gentleman in the art gallery in Bradford, the city where Frederick Delius was born. Visitors to Grez speak of Jelka’s skill as a gardener, remarking on the amazing range of floral colours – you can see that in her painting of the composer in their beloved garden.
The question naturally comes to mind, why Limpsfield? Well, they never lived here; when they left France during the First World War, they spent time close to Watford. They lie in Limpsfield because of a connection with the Harrison family, who understood the composer’s wish to be buried in a churchyard in the south of England, close to London, so people could visit.
Frederick’s body was first buried in Grez, and then – once the paperwork was in order – a year later he was exhumed to travel to St Peter’s Church, Limpsfield. Jelka, already seriously unwell, proceeded to England by train for the ceremony. The journey was too much for her: she was hospitalized and passed away within days of her arrival. And thus, she too lies buried in the Limpsfield churchyard.
After the 1910s, Jelka ceased to exhibit her works. Perhaps at another time, she would have continued her artistic path and become more prolific and better known. However, we should not underestimate her achievement. Hopefully, more works, those in private hands, will eventually come to light. But next time we pass the famous composer’s grave in Limpsfield churchyard, let’s not forget that it is also the resting place of a notable artist.
Graham Dixon will be giving a presentation on Jelka Delius at St Peter’s Church, Limpsfield at 19:30 on Friday, 24 May.
