Wednesday, 4 April 2018

Edward Ardizzone - part 2

Edward Ardizzone 1954 by Howard Coster
© National Portrait Gallery, London

Edward Ardizzone is one of the most significant illustrators of the 20th century, whose wide-ranging output spanned children's books, literary classics, war illustration and much more.

Ardizzone’s lively line-and-wash drawings were based on constant observation of the world, disciplined by classical figure composition. He is best-known for his illustrated children’s books, in particular the ‘Little Tim’ series which he wrote and illustrated, starting in 1936 with Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain, all of which are still in print today.

For more biographical notes, and for earlier works by Ardizzone, see part 1 also.

This is part 2 of 15-part series on the works of Edward Ardizzone:


In September 1939 Ardizzone was called up to the 54th AA  Regiment, Royal Artillery. In December he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant. In 1940 he was appointed an Official War Artist, and embarked for France to work with the British Expeditionary Force, though during 1940-42 he remained mostly in London. These works are from The Imperial War Museum, London.

1940 'All Clear' in the Morning
watercolour on paper 34.6 x 51 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 477)

1940 A Camp Among the Trees. Ablution benches
watercolour on paper 30.3 x 36.2 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 656)

1940 A Jewish Family in a Shelter
watercolour 19.2 x 22.6 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 467)

1940 A Pub in Silvertown, September 1940
watercolour 28.5 x 38.2 cm
Imperial War Museum. London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 470)

1940 A Soldier tying on His Respirator
watercolour on paper 33 x 28.7 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 650)

1940 A Station in War-time
watercolour on paper 38.1 x 40.1 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 346)

1940 A Street in Louvain just before the Bridge was Blown up in Front of the German advance, May 1940
watercolour on paper 46.5 x 57.5 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 214)

1940 A Street in Silvertown, September 1940
watercolour 30 x 41 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 469)

1940 A.A. Command Post in Action
watercolour 23.9 x 32.5 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 896)

1940 At a Divisional HQ
watercolour 27.6 x 24.4 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 652)

1940 Bofors at Tournai, May 1940
watercolour on paper 38 x 46 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 217)

1940 Brigade HQ
ink and watercolour on paper 19.6 x 26.4 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 118)

1940 Children Still Playing in Silvertown, September 1940
watercolour on paper 28.6 x 43 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 471)

1940 Cookhouse Fatigue at Dinner
 watercolour on paper 21.6 x 26.1 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 341)

1940 Difficulties of the Language
watercolour 18.6 x 28.5 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 126)

1940 Discussing the Situation
watercolour on paper 18.2 x 28.3 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 483)

1940 Evening by the River, Salisbury
watercolour on paper 26.7 x 32 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 340)

1940 Examining the Fuse of a Bomb
watercolour on paper 31.4 x 23.1 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 868)

1940 Firing on the Ranges
watercolour on paper 23.1 x 26 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 130)

1940 GHQ has a Nice Taste in Forage Caps!
watercolour on paper 19.7 x 28.7 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 119)

1940 In the Shelter
watercolour on paper 23.3 x 30.2 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 484)

1940 In the Shelter
watercolour on paper 26 x 32.3 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 472)

1940 Off to the Shelter
watercolour on paper 26.5 x 36.7 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 479)

1940 Off to the Shelter
watercolour and ink on paper 36.6 x 48.7 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 478)

1940 Out of Bounds for All Ranks
watercolour on paper 22.4 x 23.9 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 134)

1940 Priest Begging a Lift in Louvain, May 1940
watercolour, pen and ink 24 x 30.5 cm
Tate, London

1940 Pulling off the Padre's Boots
watercolour on paper 27.5 x 31.5 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 113)

1940 Shelter Scene
watercolour on paper 22.6 x 27.5 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 481)

1940 Shelterers Waiting to enter the Tube
watercolour on paper 21.2 x 29 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 871)

1940 Soldiers Sleeping, May 1940
watercolour 32 x 43.9 cm

Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 216)

1940 Staff Officers
watercolour on paper 29 x 33.6 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 651)

1940 Sunday Afternoon at Dartford Camp in the Early Days of the War
watercolour on paper 32.4 x 36.6 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 1548)

1940 The Alarm
ink and watercolour on paper 27.9 x 37.1 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 337)

1940 The Barmaid at the Red Lion
watercolour 30 x 30 cm
  Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 331)

1940 The Bombing of GHQ, Boulogne, May 1940
watercolour on paper 37.8 x 57.1 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 215)

1940 The Brigadier at Bailleul
watercolour on paper 26.6 x 31 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 112)

1940 The Captain of the ATS
watercolour on paper 19.2 x 23.2 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 342)

1940 The Guard in a Block House ( two soldiers )
watercolour on paper 23 x 30.6 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 115)

1940 The Guard Room
watercolour on paper 20.9 x 25 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 653)

1940 The Lounge at a Country Hotel
watercolour 23 x 28 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 333)

1940 The Public Relations Staff at Breakfast
watercolour 19 x 29 cm
The Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 127)

1940 The Shelter Marshal looks over His Flock
watercolour on paper 29.1 x 37.8 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 474)

1940 The Trek to the Shelters, Silvertown, September 1940
watercolour on paper 25.5 x 28.2 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 468)

1940 With the 300th: Gun Positions
watercolour 20.7 x 27 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 120)

1940 With the 300th: Outside the Billets at Merris
watercolour 17.1 x 23.8 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 123)

1940 With the 300th: Parade Outside the Battery Office at Merris, April 1940
watercolour 27.6 x 38 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 116)

1940 With the 300th: The Sergeants' Mess at Merris
watercolour 21.2 x 28.5 cm
 Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 122)

1940-45 Arabs at our Encampment near Zliten
watercolour on paper 26.8 x 31.3 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 2932)

1940-45 Camouflaged Figures appearing from a Wood
ink and wash on paper 17.3 x 25 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 1283)

1940-45 Camouflaged Soldiers
watercolour on paper 20.9 x 28.6 cm
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM (Art.IWM ART LD 1281)

Edward Ardizzone's WW2 artworks continue in part 3.

Monday, 2 April 2018

Edward Ardizzone - part 1

Edward Ardizzone ( right )
Imperial War Museum, London
© IWM ( NA 14235 )

A highly sought after illustrator of his time, Edward Ardizzone successfully combined a fine art career with a commercial one. Alongside a very prolific career as an illustrator, working with all the major publishing houses, Ardizzone also spent time working as a war artist. His illustrative style combines simplicity and detail in a way that seems quintessentially English.

Ardizzone mainly illustrated children’s books, many of which, such as Tim All Alone (Oxford, 1956) he also wrote. He won the inaugural Kate Greenaway Prize for Tim All Alone, and went on to achieve a Commended runner up for the 1959 Greenaway Medal for his illustrations of Titus in Trouble for James Reeves.

He was born in 1900 in French Indo-China. His father, though of Italian parentage, was born in Algeria and therefore a French National. The family arrived in England in 1905. During 1919-26 Edward attended evening classes at Westminster School of Art. This was his only formal art training. In 1920 the family house was established at 130 Elgin Avenue, Maida Vale, London. Ardizzone married Catherine Anderson in 1929.

1929 also saw the publication of his first illustrated book, “In a Glass Darkly” by Sheridan Le Fanu. In 1930 his first one-man exhibition was held at the Bloomsbury Gallery. Through the 1930s Ardizzone had several one-man exhibitions and illustrated several children’s books, including the first “Little Tim” story in 1936.

Ardizzone was appointed Official War Artist in 1940 and travelled to France as a War Correspondent to record the British Expeditionary Force. Between 1942 and 45, he travelled to North Africa, Sicily and Italy, was at the Normandy Landings and also spent time in Germany. An extensive collection of his war pictures along with his wartime diaries can be found in the Imperial War Museum. National collections of paintings, manuscripts and lithographs can be seen at the Tate, London, and the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.


In 1953 he was commissioned to create a watercolour of the Queen’s Coronation. In 1954 he was commissioned by the Press Gallery to create a portrait of Sir Winston Churchill for presentation to him on his retirement. The artist was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts in 1970, and appointed CBE in 1971. He died in 1979.

This is part 1 of 15-part series on the works of Edward Ardizzone:


1929 In a Glass Darkly by Sheridan Le Fanu
Edward Ardizzone's first illustrated book:

1929 In a Glass Darkly
Dust jacket

1929 In a Glass Darkly
Title page

1929 In a Glass Darkly
Frontispiece

1929 In a Glass Darkly

1929 In a Glass Darkly

1929 In a Glass Darkly
*          *          *          *          *

1930-31c Airing the Children
watercolour, pen and ink 19.5 x 26.5 cm
Tate, London

1931 Miners on a Beach
pen and ink and watercolour 22 x 28 cm

1931 The Rake's Progress:

1931 The Rake's Progress
At the Brasserie
watercolour, pen and ink 15 x 22 cm
© Tate, London

1931 The Rake's ProgressThe Meeting 
watercolour, pen and ink 19 x 16 cm
© Tate, London

1931 The Rake's ProgressThe Arrival 
watercolour, pen and ink 15 x 18.5 cm
© Tate, London

1931 The Rake's ProgressThe Bedroom 
watercolour, pen and ink 17 x 33 cm
© Tate, London

1931 The Rake's ProgressThe Departure 
watercolour, pen and ink 17 x 21 cm
© Tate, London

c1835 Public Bar at the Royal Albert
watercolour, pen and ink

1936 Eagerly listening for the Cuckoo
pen and ink

1936 Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain
(The first of a series of Little Tim books):

1936 Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain
Front Cover

1936 Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain

1936 Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain

1936 Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain

1936 Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain

1936 Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain

1936 Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain

1936 Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain

1936 Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain

1936 Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain
left-hand page

1936 Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain
right-hand page

1936 Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain

1936 Little Tim and the Brave Sea Captain

1937 Lucy Brown and Mr. Grimes by Edward Ardizzone:

1937 Lucy Brown and Mr. Grimes by Edward Ardizzone

1937 Lucy Brown and Mr. Grimes by Edward Ardizzone

Lucy Brown and Mr. Grimes by Edward Ardizzone
1970 edition

1937 "Grandma at Margate"
Radio Times 27 August 1937
pen and ink 15.2 x 27.9 cm
1937 Radio Times Competition
pen and ink 15 x 21.5 cm

1937 Tim and Lucy go to Sea

1937 Tim and Lucy go to Sea

1939 Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
"Pip has a visitor by night"
8 x 5.5. cm

1939 Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
"Pip on the Stairs"
8 x 5.5 cm

1939 The Local
Edward Ardizzone and Maurice Gorham:

1939 The Local
"Christmas Eve at the Warrington"

1939 The Local
"After Hours"

1939 The Local
"King's Wine House" original artwork
pencil, watercolour, pen and ink 17.8 x 14 cm

1939 The Local 
"King's Wine House" 

1939 The Local
"Saloon Bar at the Prince Alfred"

1939 The Local
"The Garden at the Red Lion"

1939 The Local
"The Jug and Bottle at the Green Man"

1939 The Local
"The Lord High Admiral"

1939 The Local
"The Private Bar at the Goat"

1939 The Local
"The Warwick Castle"

1939 The Local
"Domino Players"