Tragically lost in a dramatic rescue mission off the Icelandic coast in 1942, War Artist Eric Ravilious still leaves a creative legacy today.
ART OF WAR | ERIC RAVILIOUS
As a renowned artist who was regarded as one of the most accomplished watercolourists of the Twentieth Century, Eric Ravilious was tragically lost in the prime of his creative career during the Second World War. Known for his ‘Englishness’, and love of the countryside, Ravilious enjoyed life to the full. Painting, printmaking, designing ceramics and book illustration were all combined with his passion for dancing, sport and socialising. He was also renowned for being a habitual whistler.
Ravilious was the opposite temperamentally to many of his artistic contemporaries, he reflected his up-beat and cheerful personality in the methods he used to create artwork and the way he worked with people from all walks of life. His enthusiasm to fully engage in the moment, possibly led to his untimely death when trying to assist in spotting a missing aircrew in his final act of compassion in 1942.
His commission to become an Official War Artist was perhaps not envisaged by an enthusiastic Ravilious, as he painted and made prints of the gently undul…
