William Dring

WW11 Pilots

Mid 20th Century

Albert Rutherston 1881-1953, was an English artist, who painted portraits, landscapes, illustrated books and designed stage sets. Two of his brothers were Sir William Rothenstein and...

Anne Marjorie Robinson 1858 - 1924, was a British painter in oil and watercolour of portraits and miniatures. Annie as she was sometimes known was born in Belfast Northern Ireland and moved to London in 1907, there she studied miniature portrait painting under the best miniature painter of the time Alyn Williams. Annie exhibited at the Royal Academy, the National Gallery in Ireland, the Belfast Museum, the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and the Royal Hibernian Academy, and others. She was a well known and much admired painter in Northern Ireland and a number of her works are held in the Ulster Museum. This picture is of a old soldier who resided with the Chelsea Pensioners and he is known a such. He looks as if he is wearing the coat of an officer of the Royal Marines Light Infantry and the medals he is wearing and the ribbons are for the Indian Mutiny issued between 1857 - 1859, he is also wearing the General Indian Service Medal which was issued between 1852 -1859. As an officer he would have worn this darker, and more expensive coat but the general service infantry would have worn red simply because it was cheaper to produce in mass production methods during the 19th Century. Visibility did not seem to be considered an issue then as the troops would have marched directly towards the enemy firing and bayonetting away without the later consideration of camouflage and personal survival. The advantage of camouflage did not come into force until WW1. The buttons on the coat are most interesting as they are dated back to the Duke of Wellington's time, and reflect the imitation of Royal and upper class serviceman's fashion in general. The frame appears to be original to the painting and the labels show that it was exhibited almost certainly at the Royal Academy, and the other label with the London address shows the home of what was once the home of James McNeil Whistler. I am extremely thankful to Jonathon Russell, from the Annie Swynnerton website, for his help in catalouging this painting and the help he received from the National Army Museum Experience Team. I have included a further biography here for your interest :- Annie Marjorie Robinson (1858–1924) was a Belfast-born Irish artist known for her portraits and miniature paintings, as well as for her sculptures. Education and early career Early training: Robinson trained as an illuminator and attended the Belfast Government School of Design. Move to London: In 1907, she relocated to London to focus on portraiture, studying under Alyn Williams of the Royal Society of Miniature Painters. While there, she also studied modelling. Return to Belfast: She returned to Belfast in 1914 after the outbreak of World War I. Exhibitions and memberships Robinson was a frequent exhibitor throughout her career: Royal Academy: She exhibited nine works at the Royal Academy in London between 1914 and 1923. Royal Hibernian Academy: Her work was regularly shown at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin. Other venues: She also exhibited at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and with the Belfast Arts Society. Arts & Crafts Society: In 1917, she displayed two decorative panels at the 5th exhibition of the Arts & Crafts Society in Dublin. Robinson was an active member of the artistic community and held several prestigious memberships: Associate of the Royal Miniature Society (ARMS), elected in 1912. Associate of the Society of Women Artists (ASWA), elected in 1918. Member of the Belfast Ramblers' Sketching Club (1886–1890) and the Belfast Arts Society (1895–1924). Artworks and legacy Subject matter: A regular subject in Robinson's work was Saint Brigid of Kildare. Paintings exploring this theme, including It Was Brigit Wove the First Cloth in Ireland, are now part of a triptych in the Ulster Museum. Legacy at Ulster Museum: After her death on October 22, 1924, her brother John B. Robinson donated 22 miniature portraits, as well as sculptures, watercolours, and an oil-on-canvas self-portrait, to the Ulster Museum. Other posthumous tributes Memorial exhibition: In 1925, the Belfast Municipal Art Gallery held an exhibition of Robinson's oil paintings...

A portrait of a Second World War soldier. He wears a badge on his shoulder, possibly that of the 21st Army Group, a British headquarters formation established in 1943. The work is da...

Lieutenant J.R.N. Graham Photogravure after Lucy Kemp-Welch (1869-1958). C1920. 330mm by 505mm (image) 470mm by 630mm (sheet). Lieutenant J.R.N. Graham (1882-1980), 9th Battalion Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders, was attached to 136 Company Machine Gun Corps...