IMAGE CREDIT: Towner Art Gallery
Eric Ravilious, Beachy Head, 1939. Towner Collection. Purchased with the assistance of the Art Fund, National Heritage Memorial Fund, the the Arts Council England/Victoria and Albert Museum Purchase Grant Fund, The Monument Trust, and Eastbourne Arts Circle.—Towner Art Gallery, 25 January 2018
Eastbourne’s Towner Art Gallery is delighted to have added the work Beachy Head, 1939 by Eric Ravilious (1903 – 1942) to its permanent collection.
The acquisition of this important work, which has been in private hands since its making and only rarely shown, has been made possible at no cost to the local authority thanks to generous support from Art Fund, the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Arts Council England/Victoria and Albert Museum Purchase Grant Fund, The Monument Trust and Eastbourne Arts Circle.
Arguably the artist’s most important peace time nocturne, Beachy Head, 1939, is an iconic Ravilious watercolour. It depicts the downland hills and white chalk cliffs of Beachy Head, the world famous landmark near Towner’s home in Eastbourne which is one of the most iconic features of the Sussex coastline. The painting shows Beachy Head in the year of the outbreak of the Second World War, shortly before it was to be altered by the barbed wire military defences erected to secure the cliff from enemy invasion. Alan Powers describes Beachy Head as one of Ravilious’ ‘most perfect compositions, uncluttered by objects or detail’ in his highly regarded 2013 book Eric Ravilious Artist & Designer.
Born in London, Ravilious was a painter, designer, book illustrator and wood engraver. He moved to Eastbourne with his parents at a young age and went on to study at the Eastbourne School of Art, where his early talent was recognised. He was awarded a place in the Design School at the Royal College of Art (RCA), where he studied under Paul Nash, and met fellow students with whom he would form lasting personal and professional relationships, including Edward Bawden, Douglas Percy Bliss, Barnett Freedman, Helen Binyon, Enid Marx and Peggy Angus.
After the RCA he returned to Eastbourne to teach at the School of Art where in 1930 he married one of his students, the talented artist and engraver Eileen Lucy “Tirzah” Garwood. Ravilious was appointed an official war artist in World War II and received a commission as a Captain in the Royal Marines. He was killed in 1942 at the age of 39 while accompanying a Royal Air Force air sea rescue mission off Iceland that failed to return to its base.
Viewed by many as the home of Ravilious, Towner holds one of the largest and most significant public collections of works by the much loved and respected Sussex artist. The first acquisitions of Ravilious’ work for the gallery’s collection were made in 1936, while the artist was still alive, and Towner has continued to acquire his work ever since, assisted by generous loans and gifts as well as purchases.
Speaking about the acquisition, Towner’s Head of Collections Sara Cooper said: ‘We are absolutely delighted to have acquired Beachy Head for our Collection. Like many galleries, our acquisitions budget is becoming increasingly small and we are therefore incredibly grateful for the existence and support of organisations like Art Fund, the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Arts Council England/Victoria and Albert Museum Purchase Grant Fund, The Monument Trust SSand Eastbourne Arts Circle who make the purchase of major works such as Beachy Head a possibility for us. This acquisition will enable Towner to reaffirm the connection between Ravilious and the Eastbourne area which he so loved and returned to paint again and again.’
Stephen Deuchar, Director, Art Fund said: “We admire Towner’s ongoing and ambitious development of its arts collections, and this latest acquisition is a work of great beauty and importance, which will be surely be loved and admired by the gallery’s audiences. Art Fund was happy to help”
Sir Peter Luff, Chair of NHMF, said: “Eric Ravilious is one of the 20th Century’s most important artists. His role as a Second World War artist cost him his life when he was killed in action in 1942, but also, poignantly, introduced his work to new audiences. Beachy Head is probably Ravilious’s most famous work, a fine demonstration of his distinctive style. Saving this fine, evocative picture for the nation is a fitting tribute to Ravilious and to all those who have died protecting our nation – which is precisely what the National Heritage Memorial Fund exists to do.”
Two years ago, with funding from the Eastbourne Arts Circle, Towner designated one room within its first floor gallery as a dedicated Ravilious Room, showcasing a changing selection of his finest watercolours, prints and ceramics. In 2017, Towner presented Ravilious & Co: The Pattern of Friendship, a major new exhibition exploring the significant relationships and working collaborations between Ravilious and an important group of friends and affiliates, including Paul and John Nash, Enid Marx, Barnett Freedman, Tirzah Garwood, Edward Bawden, Thomas Hennell, Douglas Percy Bliss, Peggy Angus, Helen Binyon, and Diana Low. Beachy Head was included in this exhibition, which is now on tour to Millennium Galleries in Sheffield and Compton Verney in Warwickshire.
About Towner Art Gallery
Founded as an art gallery for the people, Towner Art Gallery presents exhibitions of national and international importance to audiences across the UK and beyond. Showcasing the most exciting developments in modern and contemporary art, Towner develops and supports artistic practice, and provides a place for experiencing, creating and discussing art and culture. The gallery welcomes over 150,000 visitors a year and collaborates with individuals, communities and organisations to deliver an inclusive and accessible associated public programme and learning offer. Their acclaimed Collection of 5000 works is best known for its modern British art – including the largest and most significant body of work by Eric Ravilious (1903-1942) – and a growing collection of international contemporary art. In 2014, Towner became an independent charitable Trust, supported by a Board of Trustees, chaired by David Dimbleby. Towner is supported by Eastbourne Borough Council and Arts Council England through its National Portfolio Programme. www.townereastbourne.org.uk
Towner Art Gallery
Devonshire Park
College Road
Eastbourne
BN21 4JJ
+44 (0)1323 434670
www.townereastbourne.org.uk
