Painter and teacher, notable for portraits and figure compositions, born in Wallasey, Cheshire, who attended Liverpool School of Art and Royal College of Art. He worked in industrial and naval camouflage, Ministry of Home Security, London and Leamington Spa, 1940–5. Taught at Newport College of Art as head of fine art and vice-principal, 1949–72, then until his death lived at Caerleon, Gwent. Rathmell was a member of the Welsh Group and WSW and participated in numerous mixed shows from late 1940s, including RA Summer Exhibitions, SWG, Howard Roberts and Albany Galleries in Cardiff and RP. A one-man show toured south Wales in 1956, he had a series of exhibitions at Howard Roberts from 1956, and there was a WAC retrospective in 1982. Among Rathmell’s commissions was Investiture of the Prince of Wales, Welsh Office, 1969.