Eric Kennington

Works
Biography

Eric Henri Kennington (1888 - 1960)

Eric Henri Kennington was the son of the painter Thomas Kennington. He was an official war artist for the British government in both World Wars, painting a large number of military scenes and portraits of private soldiers. He exhibited in London from 1908, and held his first solo show in 1916. He became a member of the Royal Academy in 1959. In 1920, he travelled to Arabia to work on illustrations for T.E. Lawrence's autobiographical work The Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Kennington painted the portraits of a number of Arab dignitaries during his stay. His non-military portraits (especially of children) were noted for their unusual oil-on-glass technique. He also produced a number of sculptural works, notably the 1924 war memorial to the 24th Division in Battersea Park, London, the memorial to the Allied Forces in Soissons, France (1928), and the tomb effigy of T.E. Lawrence for St Martin's church in Wareham, Dorset (1939).

 

Text Source: Benezit Dictionary of Artists

Exhibitions