Lawrence Gowing
Encyclopedia
Sir Lawrence Gowing was a British artist, writer, curator
and teacher. Initially recognized as a portrait and landscape painter, he quickly rose to prominence as an art educator, writer, and eventually, curator and museum trustee. As a student of art history he was largely self-taught.
He was born Lawrence Burnett Gowing to Horace Gowing, a draper, and his wife, Luisa. Born in Stoke Newington
and raised in London, his first painting of note, Mare Street, Hackney, made reference to his father's shop. After attending the Downs School
at Colwall
, Herefordshire
and Leighton Park School
, in 1938 he enrolled in the Euston Road School
, where he studied with William Coldstream
. A Quaker, he was a conscientious objector
during World War II
. In the 1940s he became recognised as a painter, and for the rest of his life was sought after to paint casual but quintessential portraits of the eminent, among whom were Clement Attlee
, Lord Halifax, and Edgar Adrian.
He began teaching in 1948, first as Professor of Fine Art, at King's College, University of Durham at Newcastle upon Tyne (now Newcastle University) from 1948-58, then as Principal of Chelsea School of Art from 1958-65, as Professor of Fine Arts at Leeds University, finally serving as principal of the Slade School of Fine Art
at University College, London from 1975-85. Concurrently, he authored a number of art monographs and catalogues on masters such as Vermeer, William Hogarth
, J.M.W. Turner, Cézanne, Matisse, and Lucian Freud
. Among the major exhibitions he organized were those for Turner at the Museum of Modern Art
in 1966, Matisse in New York in 1966 and London in 1968, and Cézanne, which traveled in 1988-89 from the Royal Academy
to the Musée d'Orsay
and the National Gallery of Art
.
Sir Lawrence was a trustee of the Tate Gallery
, the National Portrait Gallery, and the British Museum
, and was a member of the Arts Council of Great Britain
. In 1978, he was elected an associate of the Royal Academy, and was made honorary curator of its collections in 1985. Beginning in the 1960s he traveled to the United States to serve as Kress Professor at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C.
, and was also curator of the Phillips Collection
in Washington. Knight
ed in 1982, he was made a chevalier
in the Order of Arts and Letters in France in 1985.
A first marriage, to Julia Strachey
, a member of the Bloomsbury Group
, ended in divorce. In 1966 he married Jenny Wallis. Sir Lawrence had three daughters. He died of heart failure at the age of 72.
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
and teacher. Initially recognized as a portrait and landscape painter, he quickly rose to prominence as an art educator, writer, and eventually, curator and museum trustee. As a student of art history he was largely self-taught.
He was born Lawrence Burnett Gowing to Horace Gowing, a draper, and his wife, Luisa. Born in Stoke Newington
Stoke Newington
Stoke Newington is a district in the London Borough of Hackney. It is north-east of Charing Cross.-Boundaries:In modern terms, Stoke Newington can be roughly defined by the N16 postcode area . Its southern boundary with Dalston is quite ill-defined too...
and raised in London, his first painting of note, Mare Street, Hackney, made reference to his father's shop. After attending the Downs School
The Downs School (Herefordshire)
The Downs, Malvern College Prep. is an independent coeducational school in the United Kingdom, founded in 1900. It is located in Colwall in the County of Herefordshire, on the western slopes of the Malvern Hills.-Overview:...
at Colwall
Colwall
Colwall is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England on the border with Worcestershire, nestling into the side of the Malvern Hills. Areas of the village are known as Colwall Stone, Upper Colwall and Colwall Green along over a mile of the B4218 road...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
and Leighton Park School
Leighton Park School
Leighton Park School is a co-educational Quaker independent school for both day and boarding pupils. It is situated in the large town of Reading in Berkshire, in South East England...
, in 1938 he enrolled in the Euston Road School
Euston Road School
The Euston Road School was a group of English painters, active in London between 1937 and 1939.William Coldstream, Victor Pasmore, Claude Rogers, Maurice Field and Graham Bell set up a School of Drawing and Painting in Euston Road in 1937; other associated artists included Lawrence Gowing, Tom...
, where he studied with William Coldstream
William Coldstream
Sir William Menzies Coldstream was a British realist painter and a long standing art teacher.-Biography:...
. A Quaker, he was a conscientious objector
Conscientious objector
A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, and/or religion....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In the 1940s he became recognised as a painter, and for the rest of his life was sought after to paint casual but quintessential portraits of the eminent, among whom were Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
, Lord Halifax, and Edgar Adrian.
He began teaching in 1948, first as Professor of Fine Art, at King's College, University of Durham at Newcastle upon Tyne (now Newcastle University) from 1948-58, then as Principal of Chelsea School of Art from 1958-65, as Professor of Fine Arts at Leeds University, finally serving as principal of the Slade School of Fine Art
Slade School of Fine Art
The Slade School of Fine Art is a world-renownedart school in London, United Kingdom, and a department of University College London...
at University College, London from 1975-85. Concurrently, he authored a number of art monographs and catalogues on masters such as Vermeer, William Hogarth
William Hogarth
William Hogarth was an English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic and editorial cartoonist who has been credited with pioneering western sequential art. His work ranged from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called "modern moral subjects"...
, J.M.W. Turner, Cézanne, Matisse, and Lucian Freud
Lucian Freud
Lucian Michael Freud, OM, CH was a British painter. Known chiefly for his thickly impasted portrait and figure paintings, he was widely considered the pre-eminent British artist of his time...
. Among the major exhibitions he organized were those for Turner at the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in 1966, Matisse in New York in 1966 and London in 1968, and Cézanne, which traveled in 1988-89 from 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...
to the Musée d'Orsay
Musée d'Orsay
The Musée d'Orsay is a museum in Paris, France, on the left bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, an impressive Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture,...
and the National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
.
Sir Lawrence was a trustee of the Tate Gallery
Tate Gallery
The Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
, the National Portrait Gallery, and the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, and was a member of the Arts Council of Great Britain
Arts Council of Great Britain
The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. The Arts Council of Great Britain was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England , the Scottish Arts Council, and the Arts Council of Wales...
. In 1978, he was elected an associate of the Royal Academy, and was made honorary curator of its collections in 1985. Beginning in the 1960s he traveled to the United States to serve as Kress Professor at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and was also curator of the Phillips Collection
Phillips Collection
The Phillips Collection is an art museum founded by Duncan Phillips in 1921 as the Phillips Memorial Gallery located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Phillips was the grandson of James H...
in Washington. Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1982, he was made a chevalier
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
in the Order of Arts and Letters in France in 1985.
A first marriage, to Julia Strachey
Julia Strachey
Julia Strachey was an English writer, born in Allahabad, India, where her father, Oliver Strachey, the elder brother of Lytton Strachey, was a civil servant. Her mother, Ruby, was of Swiss-German origin...
, a member of the Bloomsbury Group
Bloomsbury Group
The Bloomsbury Group or Bloomsbury Set was a group of writers, intellectuals, philosophers and artists who held informal discussions in Bloomsbury throughout the 20th century. This English collective of friends and relatives lived, worked or studied near Bloomsbury in London during the first half...
, ended in divorce. In 1966 he married Jenny Wallis. Sir Lawrence had three daughters. He died of heart failure at the age of 72.