Thomas Benjamin Kennington (7 April 1856 – 10 December 1916)

Thomas Benjamin Kennington was born on 7 April 1856 in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. He studied painting at the Liverpool School of Art (where he graduated with a gold medal), the Royal College of Art in London and the Académie Julian in Paris. He exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts from 1880 to 1916 and also exhibited regularly at the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) and the Grosvenor Gallery. Kennington was a founder member and first secretary of the New English Art Club (from 1886) and a founder of the Imperial Arts League, which aimed to help artists and protect their interests. He won a bronze medal at the Exposition Universelle in 1889.

The artist is known not only for his idealized scenes of everyday life, but also for his realistic works depicting social problems. In his moving paintings – “Orphans” (1885), “Widow and Fatherless” (1885), “Homeless” (1890) – the artist depicted truthful scenes from the lives of the British poor. Kennington died in London on December 10, 1916. His son, Eric Kennington (1888-1960), was also an artist, illustrator and sculptor.