William Rothenstein

[1872-1945]

Painter and draughtsman,
lithographer and writer

Rothenstein, a student at the Slade School and under Constant in Paris, was appointed as an official war artist from 1917-18, accompanied the Canadian Army of Occupation in 1919, and during WWII produced over 200 portrait studies of airmen, which went on show in London in 1942. He was chiefly famous for the vast number of portraits which he undertook over a period of some 50 years, and was knighted in 1931. Writing to Doughty, in the hope that he might be persuaded to sit for a portrait which could be used in the reprinting of Arabia Deserta, Lawrence described Rothenstein as 'a quite safe draughtsman - not a genius, good and bad, like John' (1), and later, 'I hope to send Mrs Doughty a collection of his drawings soon to reassure her of his sobriety (he is almost too sober I am afraid): John is greater.' (2) The chalk study of Alan Dawnay for SP was Rothenstein's work.

1	L 124, 7.5.20
2	L 128, 30.7.20

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