Theodore Garman

Theodore Garman, known as Theo, was an English painter of the mid-20th century. He developed as a talented painter. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia. (It was said on his death that he had "destroyed most of his canvasses in fits of depression".) In January 1950 he had an exhibition at the Redfern Gallery in London and in a foreword to the catalogue the artist and critic, Matthew Smith, wrote, "About the painting of Theodore Garman I can only say I look at them with wonder, admiration and even astonishment". Wyndham Lewis, in a review of the exhibition for The Listener, called him "an important newcomer". In March 1952 Theodore had a second exhibition at the Redfern Gallery. On 22 January 1954, after an incident at the Chelsea School of Art in which he was accused of stealing a figurine to use in a still life, his mother tried to protect him by having him admitted to hospital. A struggle occurred in the ambulance and he had a heart attack and died before his thirtieth birthday. He was buried at St Mary and St Gabriel church, South Harting, Sussex, which he had depicted in several paintings.