Edward Bawden 1903-1989
Edward Bawden, born in 1903, was an artist prodigy, attending the Cambridge School of Art at the age of 15 and earning the prestigious Royal Exhibition Scholarship to the Royal College of Art. His early success began with a collaboration with Eric Ravilious on a mural for Morley College's refectory in Lambeth in 1928, and his prominence continued through the late 1930s.
He created works for London Transport and was appointed an Official War Artist in 1940. Post-war, he solidified his reputation with an extensive portfolio of prints, illustrations, posters, catalogues, and murals, achieving full Royal Academician status in 1957. Despite a waning in popularity, Bawden was honored with a significant retrospective at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1989. Although too ill to attend, he passed away contentedly later that year.