Born in London in 1927, Kenneth Webb is an artist know primarily for his vibrant, impressionist landscapes. He attended Lydney School of Art, often sketching the nearby Forest of Dean. In 1946, he received a scholarship to the Slade School of Fine Art but could not attend due to national service. He later enrolled instead at the Gloucestershire College of Art.
Webb moved to Belfast in 1953, adopting the post of Head of Painting at Ulster College of Art. His teaching centred around working en plein air and encouraging students how to tackle the landscape in front of them to achieve a personal interpretation of the composition. Webb explained, ‘Whenever I am taken by a theme, I seem to have to start all over and invent my own pictorial structure’ which manifests through his use of colour and texture. This current painting (Lot 4) demonstrates Webb's ability to create atmosphere through tone and texture, with warm light and rich tones creating the Autumnal scene.
He later moved to Ballywalter and established the Irish School of Landscape Painting in 1957. The school grew with classes across Ireland and assistance from former students, such as Ann Tallentire and Margaret Murphy.
By 1954, Webb was exhibiting with the Royal Ulster Academy, Royal Hibernian Academy and Irish Exhibition of Living Art. James White wrote: ‘It might perhaps be true to say that Kenneth Webb has resolved the conflict between the figurative and the abstract in the subject matter of his paintings…But their shape means more to him than illustration of forms which combine to make this composition which brings into a landscape.’ In the 1970s, Webb returned to Gloucestershire. He later purchased a cottage in Clifden which was converted into a studio. In 1974 Webb purchased the Ballinaboy Studio in Connemara on the west coast of Ireland which provided a multitude of inspiration for his landscapes. Webb noted his influences range from English romanticism, like William Blake, to modernists like Paul Nash and Graham Sutherland.
In 2018, an exhibition of Webb's work opened at the Royal Dublin Society which included 170 of his paintings from between 1955 and 2018. He has exhibited at the Royal Academy and lectured at the Tate Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Gallery London.
Webb moved to Belfast in 1953, adopting the post of Head of Painting at Ulster College of Art. His teaching centred around working en plein air and encouraging students how to tackle the landscape in front of them to achieve a personal interpretation of the composition. Webb explained, ‘Whenever I am taken by a theme, I seem to have to start all over and invent my own pictorial structure’ which manifests through his use of colour and texture. This current painting (Lot 4) demonstrates Webb's ability to create atmosphere through tone and texture, with warm light and rich tones creating the Autumnal scene.
He later moved to Ballywalter and established the Irish School of Landscape Painting in 1957. The school grew with classes across Ireland and assistance from former students, such as Ann Tallentire and Margaret Murphy.
By 1954, Webb was exhibiting with the Royal Ulster Academy, Royal Hibernian Academy and Irish Exhibition of Living Art. James White wrote: ‘It might perhaps be true to say that Kenneth Webb has resolved the conflict between the figurative and the abstract in the subject matter of his paintings…But their shape means more to him than illustration of forms which combine to make this composition which brings into a landscape.’ In the 1970s, Webb returned to Gloucestershire. He later purchased a cottage in Clifden which was converted into a studio. In 1974 Webb purchased the Ballinaboy Studio in Connemara on the west coast of Ireland which provided a multitude of inspiration for his landscapes. Webb noted his influences range from English romanticism, like William Blake, to modernists like Paul Nash and Graham Sutherland.
In 2018, an exhibition of Webb's work opened at the Royal Dublin Society which included 170 of his paintings from between 1955 and 2018. He has exhibited at the Royal Academy and lectured at the Tate Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Gallery London.
