Anthony J. Lester (1945-2026)

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of art critic Anthony J. Lester on 19th August 2026.

For over forty years Anthony has given massive support to the Federation of British Artists at Mall Galleries.

He curated several exhibitions on behalf of the FBA, including the much-acclaimed Pure Gold: 50 Years of the Federation of British Artists (2011), The Art of a Nation: Irish Works from the Allied Irish Banks and Crawford Art Gallery Collection (2015), and Winners: Award Winning Artists 2020-2022 (2022).

In 2011 he created the Anthony J. Lester Art Critic Award, which he presented at several exhibitions at Mall Galleries, including those of the New English Art Club and the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours. Such support resulted in Anthony being made a Companion of the Pastel Society and Fellow of the Royal Society of British Artists. In addition to this, he was a long-time Member of the International Association of Art Critics and The Critics’ Circle and a Life Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Life Member of Chelsea Arts Club.

Anthony’s appetite for art research resulted in him building up an impressive archive of unpublished material on British artists. Because of this, Anthony himself became a valuable resource for many art societies, as he was ready and willing to answer wide-ranging enquiries about past members, exhibitors, and exhibitions.

Anthony was introduced to Elizabeth Meek at the Mall Galleries in 2004. He was organising and selecting the works for Not the Turner Prize, a £20,000 award for painting, while Elizabeth was arranging the annual exhibition of the Society of Women Artists. Their relation blossomed and in 2008 they married. Elizabeth introduced him to colourful hats ranging from blue to red to pink to yellow, and zany, multi-coloured shirts. The couple certainly stood out from the crowd and were frequently spotted at the gallery’s Private Views.

In his catalogue essay for the exhibition Pure Gold: 50 Years of the Federation of British Artists, Anthony wrote: 'Let’s raise our glasses, brushes and palettes to the societies and the Federation of British Artists.' Today, it is we who raise our glasses, brushes and palettes to him.