Not much is known about Elizabeth Mary Aslin. She was born in 1923, a daughter of the architect Charles Herbert Aslin, and died in 1989. She was an art historian and an assistant director at the Victoria and Albert Museum. She published numerous books, mainly about interior design and furniture. Her interests lie with the Art Nouveau movement and designers like William de Morgan, E.W. Godwin and Minton. She clearly was an accomplished artist in her own right as evidenced by this lovely aquatint etching of Oundle College in Northamptonshire. It was produced in an edition of 100 copies. The rather stern looking school building is livened up by the bold orange colour of the evening sky. The light is shining through the little porch on the right and is also echoed in some of the windows, making the otherwise dark building look a lot more inviting.
This print can also be found in the Government Art Collection. That example was purchased from Editions Alecto in May 1965 and the etching was probably made not long before that. The Government Art Collection has several other etchings by this artist, among others of Stowe and Chigwell school.
Apart from etchings Elizabeth also made oil paintings.
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