From Bradford to Benares: William Rothenstein in Context

On March 14th, The Cartwright Hall Gallery in Bradford will hold a one-day symposium dedicated to the life and work of the artist Sir William Rothenstein (1872-1945), coinciding with the first major exhibition of his work since 1972 (open from March 7th-July 12th). The discussion will focus on the question 'Where does Rothenstein fit within the narrative/s of late nineteenth and early twentieth century art?'
Particular attention will be paid to a series of important cultural encounters that changed the direction of the artist’s life and work. These include: his early training in Paris, turn-of-the-century visits to Spain and Germany, years spent painting in the Jewish East End, his 1910 trip to India, interwar years living in rural Gloucestershire, experiences as a war artist in two World Wars, and his ongoing, sometimes fraught relationship with his home city, Bradford. Although Rothenstein’s life ‘beyond the easel’ will also be discussed (including his roles as critic, collector, patron, gallery-founder and professor), the main aim of the discussion, like the exhibition, will be to put the spotlight on his achievements as a painter, draughtsman and print-maker.

Conference Schedule

11.00-12.30:

Samuel Shaw (Yale Center for British Art): Rothenstein and the Bradford Context
Anna Gruetzner Robins (University of Reading): Rothenstein and Rodin
Sophie Hatchwell (University of Bristol): Rothenstein, Romanticism and The Quarry
Rowena Fowler (Independent): Rothenstein as Reader

12.30-1.00: Lunch

1.00-2.45:

Sarah MacDougall (Ben Uri Gallery) Rothenstein and Mark Gertler
Rachel Dickson (Ben Uri Gallery): Rothenstein and Jacob Kramer
Helen Brown (Independent): Rothenstein in Gloucestershire
Sarah Turner (Paul Mellon Centre): Rothenstein and India

2.45-4.00: Discussion in the gallery