Thomas Benjamin Kennington
Encyclopedia
Thomas Benjamin Kennington (7 April 1856 - 10 December 1916) was an English
genre, social realist
and portrait
painter. He was a founder member of the New English Art Club
(NEAC) and the Imperial Arts League.
in Lincolnshire
and trained in art at the Liverpool School of Art (winning a gold medal), the Royal College of Art
(RCA) in London
, and the Academie Julien in Paris
, where he studied under Bougereau
and Robert-Fleury
. He later moved to Chelsea
in London.
He exhibited at the Royal Academy
, London from 1880–1916, and also regularly showed his work at the Royal Society of British Artists
(RBA) in Suffolk Street and the Grosvenor gallery. He was a founder member and first secretary of the New English Art Club (from 1886), and also founded the Imperial Arts League, whose stated purpose was to "protect and promote the interests of Artists and to inform, advise and assist...." He won a bronze medal at the Exposition Universelle
of 1889.
Kennington became known not only for his idealised paintings of domestic and everyday-life scenes but also for his social realist works. Paintings such as "Orphans" (1885), "Widowed and fatherless" (1885), "Homeless" (1890), and "The pinch of poverty" (1891), depicted the harsh realities of life for the poor in Britain in a manner that played on the onlooker's emotions. It has been suggested that he may have been influenced by the Spanish painter Murillo
(1618–1682), whose work also featured street children. He painted in both oils
and watercolour.
Kennington died in London on 10 December 1916. His son Eric Kennington
(1888–1960) was also a notable artist, illustrator and sculptor.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
genre, social realist
Social realism
Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working class activities as heroic...
and portrait
Portrait painting
Portrait painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to depict the visual appearance of the subject. Beside human beings, animals, pets and even inanimate objects can be chosen as the subject for a portrait...
painter. He was a founder member of the New English Art Club
New English Art Club
The New English Art Club was founded in London in 1885 as an alternate venue to the Royal Academy.-History:Young English artists returning from studying art in Paris mounted the first exhibition of the New English Art Club in April 1886...
(NEAC) and the Imperial Arts League.
Life and works
Kennington was born in GrimsbyGrimsby
Grimsby is a seaport on the Humber Estuary in Lincolnshire, England. It has been the administrative centre of the unitary authority area of North East Lincolnshire since 1996...
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
and trained in art at the Liverpool School of Art (winning a gold medal), the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
(RCA) in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and the Academie Julien in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, where he studied under Bougereau
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
William-Adolphe Bouguereau was a French academic painter. William Bouguereau was a traditionalist; in his realistic genre paintings he used mythological themes, making modern interpretations of Classical subjects, with an emphasis on the female human body.-Life and career :William-Adolphe...
and Robert-Fleury
Tony Robert-Fleury
Tony Robert-Fleury was a French painter.He was born just outside Paris, and studied under his father Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury and under Delaroche and Léon Cogniet....
. He later moved to Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
in London.
He exhibited at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
, London from 1880–1916, and also regularly showed his work at the Royal Society of British Artists
Royal Society of British Artists
The Royal Society of British Artists is a British art body established in 1823 as the Society of British Artists, as an alternative to the Royal Academy.-History:...
(RBA) in Suffolk Street and the Grosvenor gallery. He was a founder member and first secretary of the New English Art Club (from 1886), and also founded the Imperial Arts League, whose stated purpose was to "protect and promote the interests of Artists and to inform, advise and assist...." He won a bronze medal at the Exposition Universelle
Exposition Universelle (1889)
The Exposition Universelle of 1889 was a World's Fair held in Paris, France from 6 May to 31 October 1889.It was held during the year of the 100th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, an event traditionally considered as the symbol for the beginning of the French Revolution...
of 1889.
Kennington became known not only for his idealised paintings of domestic and everyday-life scenes but also for his social realist works. Paintings such as "Orphans" (1885), "Widowed and fatherless" (1885), "Homeless" (1890), and "The pinch of poverty" (1891), depicted the harsh realities of life for the poor in Britain in a manner that played on the onlooker's emotions. It has been suggested that he may have been influenced by the Spanish painter Murillo
Bartolomé Estéban Murillo
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contemporary women and children...
(1618–1682), whose work also featured street children. He painted in both oils
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
and watercolour.
Kennington died in London on 10 December 1916. His son Eric Kennington
Eric Kennington
Eric Henri Kennington RA was an English Sculptor, artist and illustrator, and an official war artist in both World Wars.-Early life:...
(1888–1960) was also a notable artist, illustrator and sculptor.
External links
- Thomas Benjamin Kennington Works Online (ArtCyclopedia)
- Thomas Benjamin Kennington on Artnet
- T B Kennington prints (Bridgeman Art Library)
- Works by Kennington (Children in art history)
- Homeless (Oil on cavas, 1890 - Studion International art magazine))
- Maternal advice (Oil on canvas Christie'sChristie'sChristie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
) - Relaxation (Oil on canvas - Christchurch Art Gallery)
- The mother (1895 - Aigantighe Art Gallery)