Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard
University
pf, vertical pf
MS Eng 1658
Artwork for T.E. Lawrence's Seven pillars
of wisdom,
1921-1923.
2 portfolio boxes, 5 framed paintings (5 linear ft.)
Collection materials are in English
.
Painting and drawings by British artisits for T.E. Lawrence's Seven
pillars of wisdom.
Processed by: Michael W. Austin
*86M-114. Gift of Mr. Bayard L. Kilgour, Jr.,
225 East Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202; received: 1966 April. Presented between 1958 and
1966.
*98M-48. Gift of Mr. Bayard L.
Kilgour, Jr., 225 East Fourth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202;
received: 1966 April. Presented between
1958 and 1966.
There are no restrictions on physical access to this material.
Photocopying restricted due to fragility of material.
Copyright:
Copyright in the Kennington works was given to the Library by Christopher Kennington
in 1997.
Preferred Citation for Publication:
Artwork for T.E. Lawrence's
Seven Pillars of Wisdom (MS Eng 1658).
Houghton Library, Harvard University.
The majority of the pieces in this collection were created by painter and
sculptor Eric Kennington, a member of the Royal Academy and an official war artist
commissioned by the British government in both world wars. He was a close friend of
T.E. Lawrence and produced several portraits of him, in both paint and sculpture.
The collection includes a reproduction of a well known portrait in pencil by
Augustus John, who first drew Lawrence at the Paris peace talks in 1919. He produced
a number of portraits of Lawrence over his lifetime, in a variety of media.
Lawrence himself was a skilled draftsman and produced the small pen and ink
drawing described below. It was most probably never intended to be included in his
Seven pillars of wisdom, the magnum opus for which he
commissioned much artwork from a number of contemporary British artists, but it was
included in the Kilgour gift and is therefore listed here.
Arranged alphabetically by author, thereunder by title.
Collection consists of original artwork in pastel, pen and ink, pencil, and
watercolor, as well as reproductions in various media. Some titles were given by the
artists and/or art dealers; those supplied by the cataloger are given in square
brackets.
For more on the genesis and publication history of
Seven pillars of
wisdom, see the following: Wilson, Jeremy.
T.E. Lawrence. London: National Portrait Gallery,
1988.
(1)
John, Augustus, 1878-1961. [Reproduction
of portrait of T.E. Lawrence], undated.
1 illustration : collodion print;
22 x 24 cm.
1 folder.
Original piece is a pencil drawing dated 1919.
Inscription on border of original, reproduced very faintly here: "To Will
Clyde TE Lawrence".
(2)
Kennington, Eric, 1888-1960.
Abd el Kader
added to the collection, 1925.
1 drawing : pen and ink on paper;
28 x 26.5 cm.
1 folder.
Signed: "E.H.K."
Annotated by Kennington: "Chap. 138. par. 5."
(3)
Kennington, Eric, 1888-1960.
Dysentary, undated.
1 painting : watercolor; 38.5 x 27
cm.
1 folder.
(4)
Kennington, Eric, 1888-1960.
Forced
landing, 1926.
1 drawing : pen and ink on paper;
40.5 x 27.5 cm.
1 folder.
Signed: "E.H.K."
Annotated by Kennington: "Chap 57. para 15."
(5)
Kennington, Eric, 1888-1960.
Lawrence, undated.
1 painting : pastel; 57 x 44 cm.
1 framed item.
In frame.
(6)
Kennington, Eric, 1888-1960.
Mukheymer, undated.
1 painting : pastel; 64 x 45.5 cm.
[?].
In frame.
Mukheymer: one of Lawrence's escorts from the Ageyl tribe (per
Seven
pillars of wisdom, p. 229).
(7)
Kennington, Eric, 1888-1960.
Nightmare, 1922.
1 painting : watercolor; 38.5 x
26.5 cm.
1 folder.
(8)
Kennington, Eric, 1888-1960. [Reproduction of Ghalib], 1921.
1 illustration : collotype; 34 x 26
cm.
1 folder.
Signed: "EHK".
Ghalib Bey: a Turkish military commander (per
Seven pillars of wisdom, p. 119).
Ghalib Bey's name
written as "Galib Bey Cha'lan" by Kennington.
(9)
Kennington, Eric, 1888-1960. [Reproduction of Nawaf Shaalan], 1921.
1 illustration : collotype; 32.5 x
25 cm.
1 folder.
Signed: "EHK".
Nawaf Shaalan: oldest son of Nuri Shaalan, emir of Ruwalla (per
Seven
pillars of wisdom, p. 173-175).
(10)
Kennington, Eric, 1888-1960. [Reproduction of Serj], 1921.
1 illustration : collotype; 31.5 x
25.5 cm.
1 folder.
Signed: "EHK".
Serj: an Ateiba horseman (per
Seven pillars of wisdom, p.
490.)
(11)
Kennington, Eric, 1888-1960.
Serj, undated.
1 painting : pastel; 94.5 x 64.5
cm.
1 framed item.
In frame.
(12)
Kennington, Eric, 1888-1960.
Shakir, undated.
1 painting : pastel; 78 x 55 cm.
1 framed item.
In frame.
(13)
Kennington, Eric, 1888-1960.
Strata, 1922.
1 drawing : pencil; 40.5 x 28 cm.
1 folder.
(14)
Kennington, Eric, 1888-1960.
Tafis, undated.
1 painting : watercolor; 38.5 x 27
cm.
1 folder.
(15)
Kennington, Eric, 1888-1960.
Wilson, 1923.
1 painting : pastel; 58 x 43 cm.
1 framed item.
In frame. Signed: "E Kennington".
Lieut.-Colonel C.E. Wilson: British governor of the Red Sea province of the
Sudan (per Basil Henry Liddell Hart,
Colonel Lawrence: The man behind
the legend, 1935, p. 66).
(16)
Lawrence, T.E. (Thomas Edward), 1888-1935.
[Two destroyers], undated.
1 drawing : pen and ink on paper;
37 x 26.5 cm.
1 folder.