David Bomberg English artist Date of Birth: 05.12.1890 Country: Great Britain

1. David Bomberg: An English Artist
2. From the Battlefield to the World

David Bomberg: An English Artist

David Bomberg was one of the greatest English artists of the 20th century. He was born as the seventh child in a family of Jewish immigrants from Poland. In 1895, the Bombberg family moved to Whitechapel in London's East End. At the age of 15, David started his apprenticeship as a lithographer. From 1908 to 1910, he studied art history at the Westminster School of Art under the guidance of Walter Sickert. During this time, he also worked as an assistant in the studio of the renowned artist John Singer Sargent, who advised Bomberg to continue his education at the prestigious Slade School of Fine Art. With a scholarship from a Jewish aid agency, the young artist studied at the Slade School from 1911 to 1913. It was during this period that he met artists such as Paul Nash, Stanley Spencer, Isaac Rosenberg, and Mark Gertler. Bomberg was one of the founders of the artistic movement known as Vorticism. In 1913, he traveled to France with Jacob Epstein, where he was influenced by painters like André Derain, Amedeo Modigliani, and Pablo Picasso, who would have a lasting impact on his later work.

From the Battlefield to the World

During World War I, Bomberg served as a soldier on the Western Front from 1915 to 1918. After the war, he lived in Palestine for a period of time from 1923 to 1927, followed by trips to Morocco and Greece in 1930, the Soviet Union in 1933, and Spain from 1934 to 1935. From 1945 to 1953, the artist taught at the South Bank University in London. Among his students were notable artists such as Frank Auerbach, Leslie Marr, Gustav Metzger, and Leon Kossoff. Bomberg primarily painted landscapes and portraits. His works ranged from abstract styles (until around 1920) to expressionism, and some of his pieces show a strong influence of Soviet constructivism. Despite facing challenges and setbacks throughout his career, David Bomberg's contributions to the art world remain significant and influential.