About this product

Elwin Hawthorne (1905–1954) was a British painter, and part of the so-called East London Group.^[1][2] He was often described as an English Utrillo.

Hawthorne was born Elwin Hawthorn in Poplar, London, in 1905.^[2] one of six sons and a daughter, whose father was a painter and decorator.^[2] He left school aged 14, without obtaining any qualifications.^[2] With no job, he took art courses at Bethnal Green Men’s Institute and the Bow & Bromley Evening Institute.^[2] He adopted the spelling “Hawthorne” from 1928, having been catalogued as such at an East London Art Club exhibition held at Whitechapel Art Gallery.^[2] He subsequently worked, for three years, as assistant to Walter Sickert.^[2]

He exhibited regularly at Lefevre Galleries, who paid him a retainer and had first refusal on his works, and hosted two solo exhibitions.^[2] He painted a number of buildings in London, including St John-at-Hampstead, and the since-demolished St Andrew’s church in Vanbrugh Park.^[1] Further afield, his subjects include North Foreland Lighthouse.^[1] One of his painting was shown in the British pavilion at the 1936 Venice Biennale.

Read More.