Student Artwork Guide
Copyright This work is in the public domain. Sir William Rothenstein died in 1945; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 2015.
In context
Night — Sir William Rothenstein
Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 73 at death.
Shaded: the lifetime of Sir William Rothenstein (1872–1945) every dated painting, decade by decade
This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?
Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.
More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/sir-william-rothenstein-night-9CW5XD-en/
Measured from the image
Main colour
Celadon #c6c5a4
Catalogued palette
These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour
The ten leading countries
Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.
Together these works take 76.8% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 127 works by this artist, of which 32 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 8 of them, with 3.9% of that attention. The same counts, month by month
Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.
Artist and museum
Born in Bradford, United Kingdom
Born: Bradford, United Kingdom (January 29, 1872)
Died: February 14, 1945
Rothenstein was born into a German-Jewish family. His father emigrated from Germany to work in the textile industry in Bradford.
Education: He attended Bradford Grammar School before pursuing art training at the Slade School of Art in London (1888-1893).
Significant time spent in Paris studying at the Académie Julian, where he was influenced by artists like James McNeill Whistler, Edgar Degas, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Early career focused on portraiture, producing collections such as "Oxford Characters" (1896), “English Portraits,” “Twelve Portraits,” and “Contemporaries.”
Carfax Gallery: Co-founded the Carfax Gallery in 1898 with John Fothergill, showcasing modern art and artists like Auguste Rodin.
War Artist: Served as an official war artist during both World Wars (WWI and WWII), documenting significant figures and events through portraiture. These works are now part of the National Portrait Gallery collection.
Principal of Royal College of Art: Held the position of Principal at the Royal College of Art from 1920 to 1935, nurturing emerging talent like Jacob Epstein, U Ba Nyan, Henry Moore, and Paul Nash.
Indian Influences: A pivotal journey to India in 1910 profoundly impacted his artistic vision after observing Lady Christiana Herringham and Nandalal Bose copying ancient frescoes at the Ajanta caves and witnessing Abanindranath Tagore’s efforts to revive traditional Indian painting techniques.
Rothenstein's style evolved from initial Impressionistic influences towards Expressionism.
His portraits are characterized by psychological depth and an ability to capture the essence of his subjects.
Influenced by artists like Whistler and Degas in Paris, shaping his approach to composition and technique.
The influence of Indian art is evident in his later works, demonstrating a sensitivity to color and form inspired by Eastern aesthetics.
Family Legacy: His son, John Rothenstein, was a renowned art historian and Director of the Tate Gallery. Michael Rothenstein, his other son, was a respected printmaker.
Memoirs: Rothenstein's memoirs provide valuable insights into his life, artistic philosophy, and wartime experiences.
Honors: Knighted in 1931 for services to art.
His works are held in major collections worldwide, including the Tate Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery.
Rothenstein played a crucial role in promoting modern art in Britain through his involvement with the Carfax Gallery.
As an official war artist, he documented significant historical events and figures during both World Wars, providing valuable visual records of these periods.
His tenure as Principal at the Royal College of Art helped shape the institution and nurture generations of talented artists.
His exploration of Indian art and aesthetics contributed to a broader understanding of cross-cultural artistic influences in British art.
topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/sir-william-rothenstein-night-9CW5XD-en/
Look closely
Night — Sir William Rothenstein
Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.
Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.
"Night" can be examined layer by layer on the artwork's X-Ray page, a viewer inspired by a conservator's light bench with eleven optical readings of the image.
"Night" by Sir William Rothenstein is recorded with a balanced soft saturation and a vivid intensity.
Sir William Rothenstein appears under the alternate names William Rothenstein.