David Bomberg, Last Self-Portrait (1956) Pallant House Gallery (The Wilson Gift through the Art Fund, 2004) © The Wilson Family
Why did the art world neglect David Bomberg in his lifetime?
Marking the 60th anniversary of David Bomberg’s death, this exhibition illustrated the profound developments in Bomberg’s works and his significant achievement within the context of British modernism.David Bomberg (1890 – 1957) is revered as one of the greatest British artists of the 20th century. Taught by Walter Sickert and part of the Slade School of Art’s ‘golden generation’, Bomberg in turn taught artists including Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff, inspiring the formation of the Borough Group in 1946.
Using more than 70 works, this exhibition reassessed Bomberg’s stylistic evolution, which started with a trip to Paris where he met Picasso, Derain and Modigliani. It explored key themes within the artist’s remarkable career, including engagement with his Jewish East End upbringing and with Yiddish culture, his contribution to pre-war British modernism and his role as a war artist in both World Wars which saw the development of a more figurative and expressionist style. It also illustrated his achievements in landscape painting, in particular those created in Spain and Palestine, and as a graphic artist, alongside a rich sequence of self-portraits and portraits of friends and family.
The exhibition was curated by Ben Uri Gallery and Museum in association with Pallant House Gallery and drew upon the significant holdings of Bomberg’s work held by both institutions, alongside loans from major public and private collections. It toured to The Laing Art Gallery and Ben Uri during 2018.
In partnership with the Ben Uri Gallery and Museum.
Style is ephemeral – Form is eternal.
David Bomberg
What the press said
Featuring interviews with the curators, artist Leslie Marr, Bomberg’s family and art historian Richard Cork.
Head over to our YouTube channel to watch the playlist.
This exhibition was made possible by a number of generous organisations and individuals
Want to know more?
If you’re conducting research into this artist or another aspect of Modern British art and would like to use our library and archive, please contact Sarah Norris, Collections Manager on s.norris@pallant.org.uk.
