(Liverpool 1897 - London, 30.8.1985)
Nora Fry was a young illustrator in the Anglo-Saxon world and, after her marriage to Janko Lavrin, also influenced the development of the art scene in Slovenia. She began her education in Liverpool, where she attended the Academy of Fine Arts. After graduating, she enrolled at the University of Kensington.
There she trained in etching and engraving. She later received a state scholarship, with the help of which she was able to attend a one-year education in Paris. In the French capital, she attended the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. During this short period, Nora went on several trips to create as many images of the French landscape as possible. After returning to England, her first children's illustrations were created. She prepared them for The Little Grey Men of the Moor, and then she designed more images for fairy tales and Aesop's Fables.
In 1928, she met the Slovenian professor Janko Lavrin at a party at the Middle Temple. They fell in love at first sight and got married the same year. During their honeymoon, they visited the countries of the former Yugoslavia. During the trip, Nora kept a wedding diary, in which, in addition to short descriptions, her illustrations also appear. These are humorous images of the Slovenian landscape, such as Ljubljana, Bohinj and Bled, which she presented through the eyes of an English painter. It contains numerous comic inserts. Slovenia made a strong impression on her, so in 1935 she prepared impressions from her honeymoon. After returning to England, she taught painting at the University of Nottingham.
During World War II, she lived in London, where she taught art at primary and secondary schools. She produced quite a few book illustrations, such as Holly Hotel and Mirror of Castle Done. Despite the fact that she and Janko spent most of their time in England, they always maintained contact with Slovenian territory. After the war, Nora prepared illustrations for Levstik's The Snake's Nest in 1943, Cankar's The Servant Jerneja and His Right in 1946, and Bor's The Atomic Age in 1967. She also illustrated several English classics that were translated into Slovenian. In the 1950s, she painted several landscapes in oil on canvas, which are owned by private collectors. Her images are on display at the Ashmolean Museum of Oxford, and can also be found in Maribor. In addition to painting, she designed several costumes and sets for Pino Mlakar's ballet performances. In the 1920s and 1930s, she exhibited mainly in Liverpool, and in 1961 she presented her works in Ljubljana
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Nora Fry je bila mladinska ilustratorka v anglosaškem prostoru in je po poroki z Jankom Lavrinom vplivala tudi na razvoj umetnostne scene na Slovenskem. Šolanje je začela v Liverpoolu, kjer je obiskovala Akademijo za likovno umetnost. Po koncu te se je vpisala še na Univerzo v Kensington.
Tam se je urila v jedkanju in graviranju. Kasneje je prejela državno štipendijo, s pomočjo katere se je lahko udeležila enoletnega izobraževanja v Parizu. V francoski prestolnici je obiskovala Académie de la Grande Chaumière. Tekom tega kratkega obdobja, se je Nora večkrat odpravila na izlet, da bi izdelala čim več podob francoske krajine. Po vrnitvi v Anglijo, so nastale njene prve otroške ilustracije. Pripravila jih je za The Little Grey Men of the Moor, nato pa je zasnovala še več podob za pravljice in Ezopove basni.
Leta 1928 je na zabavi v Middle Templu spoznala slovenskega profesorja Janka Lavrina. Zaljubila sta se na prvi pogled in se istega leta poročila. V času medenih tednov sta obiskala države nekdanje Jugoslavije. Med potjo je Nora izdelovala poročni dnevnik, v katerem se poleg kratkih opisov pojavijo tudi njene ilustracije. Gre za duhovite podobe slovenske krajine, npr.: Ljubljane, Bohinja in Bleda, ki jih je predstavila skozi oči angleške slikarke. V njem se pojavijo številni komični vložki. Slovenija je nanjo naredila močan vtis, zato je leta 1935 pripravila vtise s poročnega potovanja. Po vrnitvi v Anglijo je poučevala slikanje na Univerzi v Nottinghamu.
V času druge svetovne vojne je bivala v Londonu, kjer je poučevala umetnost na osnovnih in srednjih šolah. Izdelala je kar nekaj knjižnih ilustracij npr.: Holly Hotel in Mirror of Castle Done. Ne glede na to, da sta z Jankom večino časa preživela v Angliji, sta ves čas ohranjala stik s slovenskim ozemljem. Po vojni je Nora pripravila ilustracije za Levstikovo Gadje Gnezdo, leta 1943, Cankarjevega Hlapca Jerneja in njegovo pravico, leta 1946 in Borov Atomski vek, leta 1967. Ilustrirala je tudi več angleških klasik, ki so jih prevedli v slovenski jezik. V petdesetih letih je naslikala nekaj krajin z oljnimi barvami na platno, ki jih imajo v lasti zasebni zbiratelji. Njene podobe so na ogled postavljene v Ashmolean Museum of Oxford, najdemo pa jih tudi v Mariboru. Poleg slikanja je zasnovala več kostumov in scen za baletne predstave Pina Mlakarja. V 20ih in 30ih letih je razstavljala predvsem v Liverpoolu, leta 1961 pa se je s svojimi deli predstavila v Ljubljani.
The text was prepared for the Porta Alpina gallery by Pia Župevec, B.Sc. art history
Besedilo je za galerijo Porta Alpina pripravila Pia Župevec, dipl. um. zgod.
SOURCES/VIRI:
Tamara BANKO, Slovenija: Poletje 1928, ilustriran dnevnik s poročnega potovanja Nore in Janka Lavrina, 18.1.2022, https://www.dobreknjige.si/knjige/slovenija-poletje-1928-ilustrirani-dnevnik-s-porocnega-potovanja-nore-in-janka-lavrina/ (20.1.2025).
William CONNELLY, The Life and Work of Nora Lavrin (nee Fry) 1897-1985, 1999, pp. 15-29.
Andrew HAMMOND, Through Savage Europe, The Gothic Stain in British Balkanism, 2007, pp. 117-127.
Edvina NOVAK, Slovenija-poletje 1928, Ilustriran dnevnik s poročnega potovanja Nore in Janka Lavrina, Ljubljana 2004.
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