Prints

Edward Wadsworth 1889-1949

Painter of marines, marine still-life, landscapes and abstracts in tempera; draughtsman, muralist and wood engraver. He studied machine draughtsmanship in Munich before attending Bradford Art School and the Slade School from 1909-12, where contemporaries included Gertler, Allinson and Nevinson. From 1921 he made regular visits to France and in 1923, traveled to Italy. He exhibited first with the NEAC in 1911, becoming member in 1921, and the Friday Club from 1912-13. In 1913 his work appeared in the second Post-Impressionist Exhibition and he joined the Omega Workshops. When Wyndham Lewis broke from the Omega, Wadsworth followed him and subsequently showed in the Post-Impressionist and Futurist exhibition, Dore Galleries.

In 1914 he was a founder member of the London Group, exhibited with the Allied Artists Association, joined the Rebel Art Centre and signed the Vorticist manifesto. He exhibited with the Vorticists in 1915 and had his first solo exhibition of drawings and woodcuts in 1919 at the Adelphi Gallery. In 1920 he exhibited with group X, in 1932 became a member of Abstraction-Creation and in 1933 joined Unit One. He exhibited widely and his work is represented in public collections including the Tate Gallery. He was elected ARA in 1944.

From 1917 to 1918 he worked on dazzle camouflage for battleships. His early paintings were structured and cubistic, influenced by Cézanne, whilst his Vorticist work often used woodcuts to express an intricate and angular imagery. After the war he turned to more representational work in tempera, including north country landscapes, harbour scenes and marine still-life, which reflected the influence of de Chirico and Picasso in the surrealistic atmosphere. His work moved through periods of abstraction and representation but was always concerned with clarity and structure.... read more