Early Life, Family and Training

Myra Bunce was born in 1854 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. She entered a household defined by artistic and intellectual pursuits as the elder daughter of John Thackray Bunce and Rebecca Ann Bunce. Her sister, Kate Bunce, also pursued a career as a painter, establishing a familial connection to the visual arts that shaped Myra's own trajectory as a designer, metalworker, and painter.

Her formal training was rooted in the specific industrial and artistic climate of her birthplace. Between 1879 and 1891, she studied primarily at the Birmingham School of Art. This institution provided the technical foundation necessary for her diverse output. Beyond her local studies, she sought external validation by submitting pieces for examination to the South Kensington School of Art. This rigorous academic background equipped her to move between the precision of metalworking and the expressive requirements of painting.

Technique and Style

Bunce’s practice was defined by a rejection of the industrial shortcuts common in the late nineteenth century. While many of her contemporaries relied on moulded gesso to create decorative relief, she favored the tactile reality of metal. This preference for material honesty aligns her work directly with the Arts and Crafts movement. She was a designer and metalworker who understood the physical resistance of her medium. Her approach was tactile and structural rather than merely superficial.

Her technical signature lies in the use of hand beaten framing. This method provided a level of texture and weight that moulded alternatives could not replicate. In her collaborative efforts, such as the reredos created for St Albans Church in Birmingham, she provided the hand beaten metal framing that held the painted panels. This integration of metalwork and painting shows a sophisticated understanding of how different media support one another. Her work reflects the influence of the Pre-Raphaelites through this commitment to craftsmanship and the integrity of the object.

Patrons, Workshop and Commissions

Bunce’s professional reach extended far beyond the local sphere of Birmingham and Walsall. She secured a presence in major institutional circles, exhibiting her work at the Royal Academy and the Society of Women Artists. Her involvement with the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists further solidified her standing within the regional art establishment. These exhibitions provided the necessary platform for her technical skill to be recognized by contemporary collectors and institutions.

Her most significant collaborative output occurred alongside her sister, Kate Bunce. Together, they executed two major reredos, one located in St Mary's Longworth in Oxfordshire and another in St Albans Church, Birmingham. In these commissions, Myra’s contribution was structural and material. She produced the hand beaten framing required to hold the painted panels, a method that distinguished her work from the moulded gesso common among her contemporaries.