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Eric Henri Kennington, 1888-1960

Main details

Main details for this item.
Reference number
1996/4936
Name
Eric Henri Kennington RA
Born
1888
Collection
Object type
  • Person
Completeness
56%
  • Biography

    AttributeValue
    Biography
    Eric Kennington was born in Chelsea, London, the son of the painter T B Kennington. He studied at Lambeth School of Art (1905-7) and the City and Guilds School.

    Primarily a portrait painter, he exhibited at the Royal Academy and the Leicester Galleries from 1908.

    After five months' travel with T E Lawrence in the Middle East, he took up sculpture. He was an Official War Artist from 1917 and again during World War Two. Kennington produced a number of portraits of RAF staff, published in his 1942 book Drawing the RAF. He also created many pastel portraits and lithographs. He created a series of posters for London Transport in 1944 called Seeing it through which depicted intimate portraits of transport staff at work.

    He had his first one-man show at the Goupil Gallery in 1916. His work is held by the Tate Gallery and the IWM.
    Place of birth
    Chelsea, London, United Kingdom
    Education
    Lambeth School of Art , 1905-1907
    City and Guilds School,
    Employment
    Designed posters for London Transport, 1944
    Role
    Artist,