Artwork
Parchedig David Edwardes (1836–1916), MA
Parchedig David Edwardes (1836–1916), MA is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Thomas Benjamin Kennington. It dates from 1903 and is held in the collection of the National Library of Wales.
About this work
Overview
Thomas Benjamin Kennington’s 1903 oil portrait presents David Edwardes, MA, seated in a darkened interior. The sitter wears a black robe with a white drape over one shoulder and holds an open book, gazing directly at the viewer. The composition isolates Edwardes against a vague, shadowy backdrop, emphasizing his dignified presence and scholarly bearing.
Subject & Meaning
David Edwardes, a man of academic distinction, is depicted in attire suggesting an official or scholarly role, reinforced by the open volume he cradles. The calm, steady gaze and the illuminated features convey a sense of intellectual authority and contemplative poise, inviting viewers to consider the weight of knowledge and the responsibilities of learned office.
Technique & Style
Kennington employs a post‑Impressionist sensibility, using loose brushwork and a restrained palette to model form. The painting relies on chiaroscuro, with strong contrasts between the illuminated face and robe and the surrounding darkness, creating depth and focus. The blurred background functions as a neutral field that heightens the sitter’s three‑dimensionality.
History & Provenance
Created in 1903, the portrait entered the collection of the National Library of Wales, where it remains accessible to scholars and the public. Kennington, a founder of the New English Art Club and the Imperial Arts League, produced the work during a period when he was active in both genre and portrait painting across Britain.
Artist & collection
Artist
Thomas Benjamin Kennington (7 April 1856 – 10 December 1916) was a British genre, social realist and portrait painter. He was a founder member of the New English Art Club (NEAC) and the Imperial Arts League.
The Very Revd Henry George Lidell, D.D.
William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898)
Professor John Owen Thomas
Professor Henry Fawcett
Parchedig John Morgan Jones (1838–1921), Caerdydd
William Porter (1876–1937), MA, DLitt, DD, Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament Exgesis, Bala (1907–1921) and Aberystwyth (1921–1937)
Portrait of Sir John Sulman
Sir George Bevan Bowen (1858–1938), of Llwyngwair
Portrait of Thomas W. Moffett, President, Queen's College, Galway (d.1906)
