Dennis Flanders RBA RWS (2 July 1915 – 13 August 1994) was a British artist and draughtsman who specialized in pen and ink drawings, often of English landscapes and buildings. He is notable for his meticulous depictions of the impact of aerial bombing upon historic buildings during World War Two.

Biography

Flanders was born in

Walthamstow Walthamstow ( or ) is a large town in East London, east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London and the Historic counties of England, ancient county of Essex. Situated northeast of Chari ...

, East London to Bernard Flanders, a pianist, and Jessie, a skillful painter of miniature flower scenes. The young Flanders was a naturally gifted artist who began drawing at an early age. Aged seven, he won the Princess Louise Gold Medal for the arts. After attending the Merchant Taylors' School, Flanders studied at the Regent Street Polytechnic,

St. Martin's School of Art Saint Martin's School of Art was an art college in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1854, initially under the aegis of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Saint Martin's became part of t ...

, and at the Central School of Arts and Crafts before working in a variety of jobs. He worked for a firm of accountants, for the interior decorator Maurice Adams and then in a print works before, in 1937, taking the decision to attempt to establish himself as a freelance artist and illustrator. In later life, he claimed he was inspired to do this after seeing a copy of Muirhead Bone's book of illustrations, ''Old Spain''. During the Second World War, Flanders enlisted in the British Army in September 1942. He worked at the School of Military Engineering in Ripon and was then based at Welbeck Abbey in Nottinghanshire where he made models of buildings and landscapes based on aerial reconnaissance photographs. He applied for a commission with the War Artists' Advisory Committee and although he was unsuccessful, the Committee did agree to purchase several drawings from him. These were mostly detailed depictions of bomb damaged buildings and churches in London, Bath and Canterbury and included views of both

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...

and

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...

The Church of St Anne and St Agnes, Gresham Street, EC2, 1941 (Art

After the War, Flanders became a regular exhibitor at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

and in several other galleries. He held his first solo exhibition at Colnaghi's in 1947. Between 1956 and 1964 he regularly produced drawings and sketches for publication in the '' Illustrated London News''. Flanders was active in a number of art societies and in 1975 served as Master of the Art Workers Guild. Flanders illustrated several books and published two volumes of prints from his own drawings of the British landscape and its architecture, which had been the dominant theme of his artistic career. Both the publication of ''Dennis Flanders' Britannia'', in 1984, and ''Dennis Flanders' London'', in 1986, were supported by public exhibitions, at the Fine Art Society and the Guildhall Library respectively. The former volume contained over 200 drawings created over a span of forty years.

Memberships

* 1970 Elected Associate member, Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours * 1970 Member, Royal Society of British Artists * 1975 Master, Art Workers Guild * 1976 Elected full member, Royal Society of Painters in Water Colours

Selected works

Books illustrated by Flanders included *''Yorkshire Sketchbook'' by C. Wade, illustrated by Flanders and others, 1947 *''A Visit to Bolton Priory'' by J.R Walbran, 1948 *''Land of Scoth'' by A.M.Dunnett, illustrated by Flanders and others, Scottish Whiskey Association, 1953 *''Chelsea: From the Five Fields to the Worlds End'' by R. Edmonds, Phene Press, 1948 *''East and West of Severn'' by C.V. Hancock,

Faber and Faber Faber and Faber Limited, usually abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in London. Published authors and poets include T. S. Eliot (an early Faber editor and director), W. H. Auden, Margaret Storey, William Golding, Samuel B ...

, 1956 *''Soho for East Angelia'' by M. Brander, 1963 *''A Westminster Childhood'' by J. Raynor, Cassell, 1952 * ''Dennis Flanders' Britannia'', 1984 * ''Dennis Flanders' London'', 1986

References

External links

*
Works by Flanders in the Imperial War Museum collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flanders, Dennis 1915 births 1994 deaths 20th-century English male artists 20th-century English painters Alumni of Saint Martin's School of Art Alumni of the Central School of Art and Design British Army personnel of World War II British war artists English male painters Masters of the Art Worker's Guild Painters from London People educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood People from Walthamstow World War II artists British railway artists