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Lytton Strachey

3 of 141 portraits of Lytton Strachey

© National Portrait Gallery, London

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Lytton Strachey

by Dora Carrington
pencil, circa 1916
14 in. x 10 in. (356 mm x 254 mm) uneven
Purchased, 2005
Primary Collection
NPG 6738

Sitterback to top

  • (Giles) Lytton Strachey (1880-1932), Critic and biographer; son of Sir Richard Strachey. Sitter in 144 portraits, Artist or producer associated with 5 portraits.

Artistback to top

  • Dora Carrington (1893-1932), Artist. Artist or producer associated with 10 portraits, Sitter in 20 portraits.

This portraitback to top

This drawing is a study for Carrington's profile portrait of Lytton Strachey. Strachey was portrayed by many of the painters with whom he formed relationships - among them Grant, Lamb, Vanessa Bell and Carrington. Arguably though, Carrington's portrait and Lamb's are the most celebrated. Carrington depicts Strachey's characteristic, mature appearance: tall and thin (suggested in the painting by the depiction of an attenuated hand) with a full, Victorian beard. The study and the related painting were made in 1916, around the time that Strachey and Carrington first met. They lived together until Strachey's death

Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top

Events of 1916back to top

Current affairs

As war drags on with heavy losses conscription is introduced with the Military Service Act. Conscientious objectors who refused to fight were compelled to do non-military war work, and some were jailed.
British Summer Time is introduced, putting the clocks forward an hour during the summer in order to capitalise on daylight hours.

Art and science

C. Hubert H. Parry sets William Blake's poem, Jerusalem, to music popularising the poem and tune as a patriotic English anthem. On hearing Edward Elgar's orchestrated version in 1922, King George V suggested that it replace God Save the King as the National Anthem.

International

The Irish Citizen Army starts a Nationalist rebellion in Dublin: The Easter Rising.
Massive losses are suffered on the Western Front at the battles of the Somme and Verdun.
The Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire (1916-18) led by Prince Faisal is assisted by T.E. Lawrence, who became known as Lawrence of Arabia.

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