Charles Dudley Tennant 1866-1952
Dudley Tennant was born in Hanley, Staffordshire. After his father died in 1880 he was raised in Everton, Lancashire, by his widowed mother, attending Liverpool School of Art. He began working as an illustrator, artist and landscape painter in the 1890s and later in that decade he moved to London. His marriage in 1899, prompted a move from Regents Park to Southgate and later he moved to Coulsdon, Surrey where he died in 1952. His son Dudley Trevor Tennant, a sculptor, died in 1980.
He exhibited paintings at both the Royal Academy and the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool.
In the early part of the 20th Century Dudley Tennant was a regular illustrator for, and is credited in, many books and magazines, including the 'Illustrated London News' and 'The Strand' magazines, working in colour, halftone and black and white. His illustration work was very versatile and is still popular today with many examples of his work available in reproduction from poster and artwork companies on the web. At the time he was sufficiently successful to use his own custom specification art board – ‘Eureka Board' from the 'Dudley Tennant Watercolour Board Co'.
This painting shown is a fine, vigorous study of the Old Harbour Entrance at Southwold painted on a tinted paper and almost certainly on location.
© Christopher Pitt 2021 – all rights reserved
