Edmond Xavier Kapp (5 November 1890 – 29 October 1978) was a British portrait painter, draughtsman and caricaturist who during his career depicted many of the most famous politicians, artists and musicians of the time.
A Brother and Sister Sheltering in the Underground, 1941 (Art.IWM ART LD 795)
Kapp was born in London, the son of a German-born wine merchant who was a vice-president of the London Jewish Hospital.[1] Kapp attended Dame Alice Owen's School and then Christ's College, Cambridge, where he studied for the Medieval and Modern Language Tripos. Whilst at Cambridge he had a number of caricatures published in both Granta and the Cambridge Magazine and had a one-man exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in 1912.[2] After leaving Cambridge he set up his own studio and was successful in selling his caricatures to various weekly and monthly periodicals.[3]
In the First World War Kapp served in the British Army as a lieutenant with the Royal Sussex Regiment. He was gassed and, later in the conflict, worked in Intelligence at General Headquarters. After the war Kapp studied for a short period both in England, Paris and at Berlin University. He had a solo exhibition of drawings at the Leicester Galleries in 1922 and went on to have over several dozen solo shows in Britain and abroad.[4] Throughout the 1920s Kapp published several volumes of his drawings and caricatures.[5] Kapp produced a series of lithographs of diplomats at the League of Nations for the British Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.[1]
From 1922 to 1930 Kapp was married to the writer and political activist Yvonne Helene Mayer (1903-1999).[1] In 1932 he married the sculptor and painter Polia Chentoff who died the following year.[4]
In the Second World War Kapp received several short commissions from the War Artists' Advisory Committee, most notably for a series called Life under London depicting people sheltering in the London Underground and in the crypt of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields during the Blitz.[6][7] During 1946 and 1947 Kapp was commissioned by UNESCO to produce twenty portraits of the delegates at its first international congress in Paris. In 1961 the Whitechapel Art Gallery held a retrospective of his work which included some 310 pieces.[8] Shortly afterwards Kapp abandoned figurative work and fully embraced abstract painting.[9] Further extensive exhibitions of his work were held at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in both 1999 and 2001.[4] Kapp's artwork is held in several national British collections, most notably those of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.[10][11]
8 artworks by or after Edmond Xavier Kapp at the Art UK site
August 23, 2023
edmond, xavier, kapp, november, 1890, october, 1978, british, portrait, painter, draughtsman, caricaturist, during, career, depicted, many, most, famous, politicians, artists, musicians, time, born, 1890, november, 1890londondied29, october, 1978, 1978, aged, . Edmond Xavier Kapp 5 November 1890 29 October 1978 was a British portrait painter draughtsman and caricaturist who during his career depicted many of the most famous politicians artists and musicians of the time Edmond Xavier KappBornEdmond Xavier Kapp 1890 11 05 5 November 1890LondonDied29 October 1978 1978 10 29 aged 87 NationalityBritishEducationChrist s College CambridgeKnown forPortrait painting and caricatures Contents 1 Life and work 2 Published works 3 References 4 External linksLife and work Edit A Brother and Sister Sheltering in the Underground 1941 Art IWM ART LD 795 Kapp was born in London the son of a German born wine merchant who was a vice president of the London Jewish Hospital 1 Kapp attended Dame Alice Owen s School and then Christ s College Cambridge where he studied for the Medieval and Modern Language Tripos Whilst at Cambridge he had a number of caricatures published in both Granta and the Cambridge Magazine and had a one man exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in 1912 2 After leaving Cambridge he set up his own studio and was successful in selling his caricatures to various weekly and monthly periodicals 3 In the First World War Kapp served in the British Army as a lieutenant with the Royal Sussex Regiment He was gassed and later in the conflict worked in Intelligence at General Headquarters After the war Kapp studied for a short period both in England Paris and at Berlin University He had a solo exhibition of drawings at the Leicester Galleries in 1922 and went on to have over several dozen solo shows in Britain and abroad 4 Throughout the 1920s Kapp published several volumes of his drawings and caricatures 5 Kapp produced a series of lithographs of diplomats at the League of Nations for the British Museum and the National Portrait Gallery 1 From 1922 to 1930 Kapp was married to the writer and political activist Yvonne Helene Mayer 1903 1999 1 In 1932 he married the sculptor and painter Polia Chentoff who died the following year 4 In the Second World War Kapp received several short commissions from the War Artists Advisory Committee most notably for a series called Life under London depicting people sheltering in the London Underground and in the crypt of St Martin s in the Fields during the Blitz 6 7 During 1946 and 1947 Kapp was commissioned by UNESCO to produce twenty portraits of the delegates at its first international congress in Paris In 1961 the Whitechapel Art Gallery held a retrospective of his work which included some 310 pieces 8 Shortly afterwards Kapp abandoned figurative work and fully embraced abstract painting 9 Further extensive exhibitions of his work were held at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in both 1999 and 2001 4 Kapp s artwork is held in several national British collections most notably those of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Portrait Gallery 10 11 Published works EditPersonalities Twenty Four Drawings 1919 Reflections Twenty Four Drawings 1922 Ten Great Lawyers 1924 Twenty Eight Drawings 1925 Pastiche A Music Room Book 1926 The Nations at Genevia 1934 35 5 References Edit a b c William D Rubinstein Michael A Jolles Hilary L Rubinstein 2011 The Palgrave Dictionary of Anglo Jewish History palgrave macmillan ISBN 978 1 4039 3910 4 Grant M Waters 1975 Dictionary of British Artists Working 1900 1950 Eastbourne Fine Art a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint uses authors parameter link Frances Spalding 1990 20th Century Painters and Sculptors Antique Collectors Club ISBN 1 85149 106 6 a b c David Buckman 1998 Artists in Britain Since 1945 Vol 1 A to L Art Dictionaries Ltd ISBN 0 95326 095 X a b Simon Houfe 1996 The Dictionary of 19th Century British Book Illustrators Antique Collectors Club ISBN 1 85149 1937 Brain Foss 2007 War paint Art War State and Identity in Britain 1939 1945 Yale University Press ISBN 978 0 300 10890 3 Imperial War Museum War artists archive E Kapp Imperial War Museum Retrieved 2 June 2015 Whitechapel Art Gallery 1961 Edmond Kapp a retrospective exhibition of paintings and drawings 1911 1961 Whitechapel Art Gallery Grant M Waters Dictionary of British Artists Working 1900 1950 Volume II Eastbourne Fine Art Collection Edmond Xavier Kapp Victoria and Albert Museum Retrieved 1 June 2015 Search the Collection Edmond Xavier Kapp National Portrait Gallery London Retrieved 1 June 2015 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Edmond Xavier Kapp Works by or about Edmond Xavier Kapp at Internet Archive 8 artworks by or after Edmond Xavier Kapp at the Art UK site Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Edmond Xavier Kapp amp oldid 1166111194, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
