Sir Joseph John Thomson
1 of 16 portraits of Sir Joseph John Thomson
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Sir Joseph John Thomson
by William Rothenstein
pencil, 1915
14 in. x 9 7/8 in. (356 mm x 251 mm)
Purchased, 1970
Primary Collection
NPG 4796
Artistback to top
- Sir William Rothenstein (1872-1945), Artist and teacher of art. Artist or producer associated with 222 portraits, Sitter in 24 portraits.
Linked publicationsback to top
- Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 614
Events of 1915back to top
Current affairs
The Times Newspaper reports that Britain's Army is suffering from a lack of Ammunition Shells, pointing the finger of blame at the Liberal government. The Shell Scandal forced Asquith to form a new coalition government, bringing Conservatives into the cabinet and demonstrating the need to gear the whole country's economy towards the war effort.Art and science
As the threat from aerial attack increased, the decision was made to protect the national art collections by storing them in basements or in locations outside London. On 15th October the National Portrait Gallery under the directorship of Sir Charles John Holmes closed its doors to the public and removed paintings from the walls.International
Stalemate ensues on the Western Front and trench warfare begins as both sides take up defensive positions. While offensive strategies become futile, serious loss of life occurs with the first deployment of tanks and the use of poison gas.Albert Einstein publishes his General Theory of Relativity, a model of gravitation and cosmology.
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