Artist in Focus | Eric Ravilious | V&A

British wood engraver and watercolour artist Eric Ravilious is deeply connected to the V&A - from his early years training at the Royal College of Art, the career-long inspiration he gained from studying the diverse collections, through to his granddaughter, Ella, who works as a curator at the museum.
In this film, Ella takes us on a personal journey through Eric's life, exploring the techniques he learnt and mastered, his influential creative connections, the artists and designers he admired and studied, his favourite subjects to depict, the landscapes he loved and the adventures he had as an official war artist in World War II.
00:00 Who is Eric Ravilious?
00:38 Education at Eastbourne School of Art and The Royal College of Art
02:03 Inspiration from artist and tutor Paul Nash
02:18 Discovering wood engraving, learning from Paul Nash
04:24 Influence of Samuel Palmer
06:08 Eric's woodblocks
08:12 Thomas Bewick's animal prints
08:50 Life after graduation and meeting Tirzah Garwood
10:33 The Fry Art Gallery in Saffron Walden
11:07 Ravilious' scrapbook of drawings and watercolours
11:18 Drawings of costumes from the V&A
12:51 Fireworks, Wedgwood , James II and Mary of Modena
17:44 The Morley College Mural design, featuring many Tirzah's!
20:10 Eric and Tirzah move to Great Bardfield, Essex, with Edward Bawden and his wife, Charlotte
20:47 Visits to art school friend Peggy Angus at Furlongs in the Sussex Downs
22:06 Famous painting Tea at Furlongs
22:34 The very British weather depicted in The Long Man of Wilmington
24:00 Clashing patterns in a Welsh farmhouse bedroom watercolour
25:34 Mont Blanc by Francis Towne sparking a love for other landscapes
26:20 Eric becomes a war artist during World War II
26:34 Recording RAF activity in watercolour and drawing
27:31 Eric's fateful trip to Iceland
Explore Eric Ravilious objects in the V&A collections: collections.vam.ac.uk/search/...
Discover more in our Print collection: www.vam.ac.uk/collections/print
See more from our Watercolour collection: www.vam.ac.uk/collections/wat...
Buy the V&A book 'Eric Ravilious: Landscape and Nature': www.vam.ac.uk/shop/books/eric...

[@bettinarossi7908]

This segment was quite wonderful. I really enjoyed the candid enthusiasm from the curator due to her personal connection to the artist. Lovely.

[@buddhistjustbud]

I agree ❤

[@russellgibbon8621]

Thank you Ella! I had not realised that my hero, your grandad Eric Ravilious shared my own admiration for the work of Samuel Palmer. I am smiling broadly . . . .

[@favouritemoon4133]

That was absolutely wonderful from start to finish. There was something very special for me in the connection between the curator presenting the work and the artist's history, and the artist himself.

[@jamesmortimer4405]

What a brilliant film…. Both insightful and personal! Well done V&A!!

[@Vee_of_the_Weald]

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Eric would be proud of his granddaughter. She’s so gracious, eloquent and charismatic. Lovely.

[@abilenechristianuniversity7326]

This irresistible documentary is definitely enriched by our narrator's familial connection with the artist and his milieu--I hope Ella will author a biography--but it also provides a very helpful tracing of the artistic networks in which he moved and worked. I'm deeply grateful for the care and thought that went into its production!

[@vamuseum]

Ella has! Here it is: www.vam.ac.uk/shop/books/eric-ravilious%3A-landscape-and-nature-167255.html

[@WhenImBackInChicago]

@@vamuseum Thank you❣️❤️

[@Vee_of_the_Weald]

How wonderful!

[@abilenechristianuniversity7326]

Thank you for the link! Much appreciated.@@vamuseum

[@petersolomon5227]

An elegantly produced film essay on the life and artwork of Eric Ravilious.

[@RichardLaurence]

The longer format is wonderful! What an interesting and poignant story…

[@ZoeLateNight]

Enjoying the longer length of this! Beautiful artwork. Thank you to the team!

[@matthedlund502]

Wonderful documentary. More about Eric Ravilious please!

[@vamuseum]

You can see lots of his work in Explore the Collections! collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?q=Eric+Ravilious&year_made_from=&year_made_to=

[@matthedlund502]

thank you, @@vamuseum

[@user-yp8bq6io5y]

Such a great story and a wonderful artist! The narrators passion for the subject was what helped keep me engaged. I look forward to more like this!

[@amb163]

I really enjoy his early works with woodcuts --- they have a kind of German Expressionist feeling about them. Like the backgrounds in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. I also like his later works from the field as a war artist. He works well with a quick hand.

[@ameryek.9607]

What a wonderful artist & documentary! Eric Ravilious' work is instantly recognizable. He is not much known here in the U.S., unfortunately. I guess there needs to be bio-pic, then more people will learn. He did so much more work than could be shown here. His granddaughter is the perfect person to introduce ER to a wider audience. Thanks so much for posting this, V & A!

[@burntpaw7645]

What a beautiful film. There’s something so evocative about the atmosphere in Ravilious work that can be quite hard to articulate- but it’s really captured in this presentation x

[@manuelasilva9359]

I recall a wonderful exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery. Thank you for reviving the memory!

[@timrutter5025]

I was taught by Enid Marx at Winchester school of Art, how fabulous to have met her and that she knew Ravillious

[@sarahmcleary4603]

Great video, I love all the connections to the collection. Away to look up Peggy Angus now

[@meretelinneberg4544]

So sad he went missing on Iceland.. Beautiful works..

[@nickupton2123]

Lovely programme, thanks. Ravilious’s pictures of Sussex chalk landscapes are wonderful

[@josephmessner5312]

Wonderful snapshot of an unknown artist (to me). I like her enthusiasm !!

[@lynnblack6493]

What a pleasure to be included in the personal history of a grandfather.

[@lynnblack6493]

A very talented Grandfather I should add!😊

[@barbaracovey]

Thanks for sharing. Amazing work.

[@moyashisoba]

Thank you for sharing this story. Beautiful to watch.

[@jonrutherford6852]

Deeply engaging works in some of the most demanding media (woodblock engraving; watercolor) -- with enlivening whimsy adding to the appeal. Many thanks for this enjoyable tour of the artist's career and output!

[@judithgriffiths7487]

Absolutely lovely. Interesting and informative, uplifting too.

[@emanuelecanepa6312]

Sono molto felice di avere scoperto, con questo video, uno splendido e affascinante artista. Spero di poter vedere presto le sue opere. Commovente la sua tragica morte. Grazie!

[@Undermarysmantleforever]

Beautiful collection.

[@hwizell7478]

Lovely work from my grandmother’s generation Thank you for posting this 👏

[@princesspinstripe]

This was absolutely fascinating! Thank you.

[@movingpicutres99]

Thank you for this wonderful documentary. ❤

[@radicalcartoons2766]

Thank you for this introduction to this wonderful artist. At 22:39 in the landscape painting, is it just me, or does it look like he has included a large floating stone, maybe on it's way to a stone circle? Alfred Watkins book The Old Straight Track was published in 1925. He thought that chalk hill figure represented an ancient surveyor holding it's sighting rods.

[@lesleyhawes6895]

It amazes me that so many of these comments reveal a total lack of previous knowledge of the life and work of Eric Ravillious. I am 80 years old in a fortnight, and I've known and loved his work since my early teens!

[@rtredre]

Outstanding!

[@fcp105]

Loved this introduction to your grandfather. Thank you

[@maggierobinson6537]

I really enjoyed this recording. I've always enjoyed looking at Ravilious's work at the Towner and other galleries. Well done producing such a interesting short documentary.

[@pyewackett5]

With Palmer & Nash as his early inspirations he couldnt go wrong. On solid ground with those two.

[@jaycee6996]

Brilliant! I first saw Eric Ravilious's work over 50 years ago and have loved it ever since. He was a big influence on my own print making along with Edward Bawden and Paul Nash. The first children's books I read were illustrated with prints, largely woodcuts, which from a very early age I fell in love with.

[@infantteacher1]

Thank you. An inspirational film.

[@MsSherryjh]

Wow, fascinating. Thank you so much.

[@lindenreads]

More videos like this, please! ☺️

[@alanparker3130]

Excellent. There are many echoes of the career of Charles Tunnicliffe, the wildlife artist. He was two years older than Eric. I wonder if their paths crossed at the RCA. Both were superlative etchers and book illustrators.

[@larosaprofunda]

Thank you so much for this wonderful and profound documental!!! regards from Argentina😍

[@retromusings]

Absolutely loved this. The story was mesmerising and magical!

[@marillawalker]

Thank you for sharing, this was such an interesting film! x

[@tonkabeancat1117]

Thank you- what an inspiring insight into Ravilious's artistic beginnings.

[@robhead22]

What a great video. Its both Informative and inspiring!! Thank you!

[@hilariapdx]

Marvelous. Thank you.

[@bia.M]

Wow. absolutely loved this video through and through

[@lorawaring883]

wow. thank you!

[@sharonzotoff3975]

While his style of work doesn't particularly hold my attention, it's always deeply interesting to peek behind the curtain and know more about an artists life and inspirations. I did love the bedroom painting. It's one I could lose myself in.

[@susprime7018]

I would think an Antique Shop would better inform an artistic development than an Army Colonel, but happy they found one another, handsome couple, thanks for sharing and thanks to your Grandfather, another fine young man sacrificed for country.

[@TheTennisCourtBuildersAdelaide]

Keep up the great work!

[@davidbrownlee7389]

Beautifully done thankyou.

[@johnmorgan5495]

Brilliant

[@TimArrowsmithDesign]

Lovely ! 👏🧡

[@mzaliwa]

It's a tawny owl

[@petebibby3726]

Delightful

[@penihavir1777]

Great information, and from what I could tell, lovely images. But the jerking, flipping, quick-shifting images gave me a blinding headache. Perhaps you need to include a warning at the beginning of this type of film. Flashing lights don’t bother me, but this really did.

[@WhenImBackInChicago]

I agree. I tapped the gear emoji, located in the upper-righthand corner, and slowed the Playback.😊

[@RecalledtoLife]

Do you know what became of the woman who decided to give up her scholarship to become a missionary?

[@rickh3714]

She ended up in a missionary position.😉

[@chinchillin6280]

Narrator looks like her grandpa!

[@zzausel]

Woodcut and woodengraving are very different technics, you should correct your text.

[@tiwantiwaabibiman2603]

Not "scrapbooks". Those are the artists' art journals. Theres a difference...

[@ryanjohnson8555]

Why does this history of an artist show the contact sheets displaying Ilford HP5 as the film type? Ilford HP was produced in the 1930‘s - HP5 was not introduced until 1976. This invalidates the time line of the photos and is poor historical story telling. The V & A is a high budget museum with a great collection, were are your video proof readers.

[@DB-pm2vy]

Pity the pictures aren’t left long enough to look at carefully. Too much of the curator and the story and not enough of the works themselves.

[@ameliacorin7383]

@DB-pm2vy I"ll second that.

[@susanfraser6371]

I agree. I also found the "jerkiness" of the slideshow presentation distracting. Panning across the art would allow the viewer to take in more of the elements she is talking about.

[@favouritemoon4133]

I find the pause button useful in a *lot* of art videos.

[@roybooth7904]

Come now, it is 'Artist in focus', delivered with a special excitement and pride that evidently comes from being granddaughter to the artist and familiar with his works from earliest life. That was the vivifying interest, a professional life in the museum that circles back to the artist's works, training, and too short life. If you want to study the works in digital form, they are easily found, ponder them as long as you like.

[@jamesmortimer4405]

Google the images or read a book… genuinely beautiful video

[@michealmccabe4666]

Quite engrossed one of my favourites and very interesting perspective

[@jeanneblondewomanstamping9788]

The artist’s works are wonderful. But oh my goodness I can barely stand to watch this. The choppy jumpy cuts when showing the photos& works is horribly distracting. 😢🫣😖

[@WhenImBackInChicago]

Drastically slow-it-down, by tapping the gear emoji, located in the upper right-hand corner, and via Playback, select a slower speed.😊