Richard Eurich | Modern painter

Richard Ernst Eurich, OBE, RA (14 March 1903 - 6 June 1992) was an English painter who worked as a war artist to the Admiralty in the Second World War and was also known for his panoramic seascapes and narrative paintings.

These were often invested with a sense of mystery and wonder which have tended to set him apart from mainstream development of art in the twentieth century.

Early life

Richard Eurich was born in Bradford.

He was the second of five children born to Dr Friederich Wilhelm Eurich, a professor of forensic medicine and a bacteriologist known for his research into the disease anthrax.

Richard was sent to St George's School, Harpenden at the age of ten and then attended Bradford Grammar School from 1918-1921.

He then studied at Bradford School for Arts and Crafts in 1922 and continued his training at the Slade School of Art under Professor Henry Tonks until 1926.

Whilst still a student, Eurich met Sir Edward Marsh a great patron of the arts.

He took Eurich under his wing and together with Eric Gill was instrumental in arranging Eurich's first one-man show at the Goupil Gallery in 1929.

This exhibition consisted entirely of painstaking pencil drawings.

At the opening, Eurich met the artist Christopher Wood who advised him to "paint what you love and damn all fashions that come and go" which advice Eurich took to heart.

Marsh also introduced Eurich's work to the Redfern Gallery, run by Rex Nan Kivell.

Eurich had a show there in 1933 which was so successful that the Redfern offered him a contract to act as his London dealer.

His association with the gallery lasted for twenty-five years and he had a further fifteen exhibitions there.

Eurich spent the early part of the 1930s living in small fishing ports on the south coast of England and in 1934 he settled in Hythe, Hampshire.

Hythe, and the nearby Southampton Water, became regular subjects of his paintings.

Following the War, when it was difficult to make a living as a painter, Eurich accepted a range of commissions.

Amongst these was one from Evelyn Waugh to depict the interior of a Dakota aircraft about to crash (called The Pleasures of Travel, 1951), which he painted in 1953.

Also in 1953 he painted the Queen's Coronation for an illustrated newspaper.

Then in 1956 came the Rededication of Rouen Cathedral.

From 1958 to 1965 he did a series for the Shell Shilling Guides of various counties.

The Esso Oil Refinery at Fawley in Hampshire was close to where he lived and in 1960 he painted a picture of "The Seven Sisters", the name given to a group of pressurised spheres.

In 1968 he painted the large diptych depicting Whitby Harbour and Chatsworth House for the Teaching Hospital in Sheffield.

Unfortunately this is not on show at present as the building was redesigned and there is no space for them.

This is the only work he ever did in acrylic as it was deemed less reflective than oil paint.

From 1949 till 1968 Richard taught part-time at Camberwell School of Art under Leonard Daniels.

From 1969 until 1971 he taught part-time at the Royal Academy Schools. | Source: © Wikipedia

Richard Ernst Eurich, OBE, RA (1903-1992) è stato un pittore Inglese che ha lavorato come artista di guerra per l'Ammiragliato durante la seconda guerra mondiale ed era noto anche per i suoi paesaggi marini panoramici ed i dipinti narrativi.

Questi erano spesso investiti di un senso di mistero e meraviglia che tendevano a distinguerlo dallo sviluppo principale dell'arte nel ventesimo secolo.

Dopo la guerra, quando era difficile guadagnarsi da vivere come pittore, Eurich accettò una serie di commissioni.

Tra questi ce n'era uno di Evelyn Waugh per raffigurare l'interno di un aereo Dakota in procinto di schiantarsi (intitolato The Pleasures of Travel, 1951), che dipinse nel 1953.

Sempre nel 1953 dipinse l'incoronazione della regina per un giornale illustrato.

Poi, nel 1956, venne la riconsacrazione della cattedrale di Rouen.

Dal 1958 al 1965 ha realizzato una serie per le Shell Shilling Guides di varie contee.

La raffineria di petrolio Esso a Fawley nell'Hampshire era vicina a dove viveva e nel 1960 dipinse un quadro di "Le sette sorelle", il nome dato a un gruppo di sfere pressurizzate.

Nel 1968 dipinge il grande dittico raffigurante Whitby Harbour e Chatsworth House per il Teaching Hospital di Sheffield.

Sfortunatamente questo non è attualmente in mostra poiché l'edificio è stato ridisegnato e non c'è spazio per loro.

Questo è l'unico lavoro che abbia mai realizzato con l'acrilico poiché era ritenuto meno riflettente della pittura ad olio.

Dal 1949 al 1968 Richard insegnò part-time alla Camberwell School of Art sotto Leonard Daniels.

Dal 1969 al 1971 ha insegnato part-time presso la Royal Academy Schools. | Source: © British Wikipedia