Sophia Rosamund Praeger HRHA HRUA

Sophia Rosamund Praeger (1867-1954) was an Irish artist, sculptor, poet, and writer who was born in Holywood, County Down. She received her education at the Belfast School of Art under George Trobridge. She continued her arts education, joining the Rambler’s Sketching Club in 1886 and attending the Slade School of Art under Alphonse Legros. She later spent time in Paris continuing to study.

In 1907, Praeger received her first major commission, a memorial to T. Hamilton for Queen’s University. She also wrote and illustrated several children’s books but is most known for her sculptures, which are typically of children. She exhibited frequently at the Belfast Art Society, the Royal Hibernian Academy, the Irish Decorative Arts Association, the Arts and Crafts Society of Ireland and was a member of the Guild of Irish Art-Workers. She received an honorary MA from Queen’s University in 1938 and an MBE in 1939.