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Alfred Kingsley Lawrence (1893 - 1975)

Portrait of a Naval Officer

SKU: 9576
Pastel on blue/grey paper, laid on board
22 x 17 in. (56 x 43 cm)
Presentation:
folio

Size:
Height – 56cm x Width – 43cm

DESCRIPTION

As the cap badge has yet to be painted it’s hard to know whether this Naval Officeris  from the Royal or the merchant navy. The plain jacket and tie suggests the latter – possibly the uniform of the Fleet Air Arm, or the Royal Fleet Auxilliaries. 


During WW2 Lawrence made a number of portraits of RAF and Naval personnel, often rapidly sketched on the spot:

Squadron leader O’Neill
© the copyright holder. Photo credit: Royal Air Force Museum
We are grateful to Ian Jack for assistance.

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THE ARTIST

Alfred Kingsley Lawrence
Alfred Kingsley
Lawrence
1893 - 1975

Painter of pictures and murals and draughtsman, born in Lewes, Sussex. He studied at King Edward VII School of Art in Newcastle upon Tyne under Richard Hatton, at Royal College of Art with William Rothenstein and then in Italy as a Prix de Rome winner, 1923. Elected RA in 1938. Lawrence was a fine figure painter and a RA stalwart for many years, his work having a strong underlying draughtsmanship. Also showed RP of which he was a member and widely abroad. Among Lawrence’s notable murals are ones in Laing Art Gallery and Museum, Newcastle; Palace of Westminster; and Bank of England. Lived in London.

During WW1 Lawrence was in the Tyneside Pioneers, and according to Richard Dunning was in the front line 100 yards from Lochnagar when it was blown up. Given that the (unannounced) 27 ton explosion was heard and felt in Kew, it must have unnerved him considerably – fortunately the Pioneers were the only troops, out of 100,000, who didn’t go over the top on that day. Lawrences masterpiece, The Altruists, (first exhibited at British Empire Exhibition, Wembley, 1924, then British Pavilion, 1925 Paris and now lost) showing First World War soldiers and a selection of robed figures grouped on either side of a risen Christ, was his most ambitious serious attempt to sublimate his traumatic WW1 experiences.

With thanks to artbiogs.co.uk

MORE PICTURES BY ARTIST

SKU: 9583

Alfred Kingsley Lawrence (1893 - 1975)

Study for Persephone

£5,000.00

SKU: 9870

Alfred Kingsley Lawrence (1893 - 1975)

Spitfire No. 303 (Kosckiuszko) Squadron RAF, Summer 1941

£3,750.00

SKU: 9582

Alfred Kingsley Lawrence (1893 - 1975)

Head and shoulders portrait of young woman looking to the left, 1925

£2,800.00

SKU: 9575

Alfred Kingsley Lawrence (1893 - 1975)

Muse, 1914

£600.00

SKU: 9562

Alfred Kingsley Lawrence (1893 - 1975)

Sergt. Pilot J.C. McWilliams, 1942

£4,750.00

SKU: 5483

Alfred Kingsley Lawrence (1893 - 1975)

The British School at Rome, circa 1923

£6,500.00