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Eric Kennington

Eric Kennington (1888-1960) was a sculptor, illustrator and official war artist in both world wars. The archive holds a collection of sixty-six black and white photographs and published illustrations of Kennington’s work, including memorials, architectural sculpture and portraits.

Sepia photo of a man with dark hair and a moustache working on a life-sized sculpture of a seated man.

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Black and white photo of a sculpture of a woman holding a lantern. She is jutting out from a sandstone wall, where she has been carved from the same blocks that make up the building.

Black and white photograph of Eric Kennington's sculpture 'Comet Racer' (1936). The photo shows a pillar, made for the car park of the Comet Inn, Hatfield. The pub was built in brick in the shape of an aeroplane and faced an aircraft factory. The pillar depicts various means of flight from mythology, such as Icarus, a witch on a broomstick, and flying fish.

Black and white photo of an older man with a toothbrush moustache. He is standing outdoors, holding a large, bent piece of metal that will probably form part of a sculpture.

About the artist

Eric Kennington (1888-1960) was a sculptor, illustrator and official war artist in both world wars. Born in Chelsea, Kennington was son to a genre and portrait painter. He was educated at St Paul’s School and Lambeth School of Art. In 1908 he debuted his paintings at the Royal Academy, and by 1914 he was exhibiting at the International Society of Sculptors, Painters & Gravers and doing well selling his work.

During the First World War, Kennington was sent to fight on the Western Front. He was injured in 1915 and sent back to England where, while in recovery, he continued to paint. His paintings were praised for their realistic portrayal of exhausted soldiers. He was officially commissioned by the Department of Information and was sent to France. During this time he produced 170 charcoal, pastel and watercolour works.

It was in 1920 when Kennington made his first sculptural work, honouring the soldiers in the war. A relief sculpture, it was titled ‘PBI’, standing for ‘Poor Bloody Infantry’. At the time this title was a shock to some people. However, the press viewed this as an important work, giving a realistic depiction and title for the infantry who took part in the war.

Kennington continued to exhibit after the end of the war, and it was at this time he made friends with T. E. Lawrence. In 1921 he travelled to Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, drawing portraits of local subjects. The influence of his travel and exposure to different styles of art can be seen in his later sculptural work.

On his return to the UK, Kennington’s friendship with Lawrence continued to grow. Kennington created some drawings for and was art editor of Lawrence’s The Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1922-26), and Lawrence also became a subject in Kennington’s work.

In 1931, Kennington was commissioned to create architectural sculptures for the front of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon. These sculptures were titled Love, Jollity, Treachery, War and Life Triumphing over Death.

In 1938, Kennington, predicting war on the horizon, approached the Home Office proposing the design of camouflage for public buildings. He worked on these designs with Leon Underwood and Richard Carline, among others. He went on to work for the Air Ministry, producing portraits of Allied flight crew.

Kennington continued to produce sculpture post-war. In 1951 he was made an associated member of the Royal Academy, becoming a full member in 1959.

What’s in the collection?

The archive holds sixty-six black and white photographs and published illustrations of Kennington’s work, covering the period 1920-1960. These include memorials, architectural sculpture, gravestones and portraits.

Most of the photographs are records of finished works, often photographed in situ, although there are some photographs of Kennington in the process of carving. There is also one photograph of the unveiling of his Thomas Hardy Memorial, taken in Dorset, 1931.