Ravilious, Dulwich Picture Gallery

Watercolours don’t often feature in the canon of ‘great’ paintings, but the Dulwich Picture Gallery aims to dismiss any sceptics with the first major survey of the British artist Eric Ravilious.

Eric Ravilious paintings and biography

Well known for his collaborations with Wedgewood and widely viewed as one of the key figures of mid-20^th century design, Ravilious was born in 1903 in the idyllic surroundings of Sussex. After training at The Royal College of Art, where he was encouraged early on by teacher Paul Nash, Ravilious won a scholarship to travel to Italy. A prestigious commission to paint a mural for Morley College in London followed quickly, igniting what would be an astonishingly prolific career.

Eric Ravilious influences

Ravilious was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s thrillers with his shadowy interiors and unusual perspectives to create the haunting sense of human presence. Technically speaking, his pictures garnered great acclaim for their clean use of colour and sharpness of line, and are still considered amongst the finest British watercolours ever created.

Having spent much of his life capturing the gentle beauty of English life, Ravilious’s career changed drastically at the outbreak of World War II. Assigned to the Royal Navy as an official war artist, Ravilious felt compelled to find new ways of capturing and preserving the chaos of war.

Eric Ravilious watercolours | Dulwich Picture Gallery exhibition

Although Ravilious died prematurely at 39, he was responsible for a real revival of English watercolour painting and inspired a generation of young artists like Henry Moore and John Piper.

This refreshing display of Ravilious’s work at Dulwich Picture Gallery, curated by leading expert James Russell, promises to be well worth a visit.

Also on this August is Dulwich Picture Gallery Art in the Garden, children's event.

On Wednesday, 19 August, children can explore a range of animals from the Gallery's Permanent Collection, from cows to crows and model their own incredible creations and stuffed textiles animals on the lions heads and paintings of dogs that litter the gallery. Children can chose from a variety of materials including socks to make their animals. 

On Wednesday 26 August, a family day with Mythical Monsters at Dulwich Picture Gallery sees families exploring the creatures in Poussan and Ruben's paintings and create their own mythical monster costumes using a variety of artists. A perfect way for art loving families to engage children and their imagination. 

With professional artists on hand to guide your youngsters, this free, drop-in event is not to be missed.