Background
Hawthorne was born Elwin Hawthorn in Poplar, London, in 1905.
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Elwin Hawthorne
Edit ProfileCareer
He was often described as an English Utrillo. He left school aged 14, without obtaining any qualifications. With no job, he took art courses at Bethnal Green Men"s Institute and the Bow & Bromley Evening Institute.
He adopted the spelling "Hawthorne" from 1928, having being catalogued as such at an East London Art Club exhibition held at Whitechapel Art Gallery.
He subsequently worked, for three years, as assistant to Walter Sickert. He painted a number of buildings in London, including Street John-at-Hampstead, and the since-demolished Street Andrew"s church in Vanbrugh Park.
Further afield, his subjects include North Foreland Lighthouse. One of his painting was shown in the British pavilion at the 1936 Venice Biennale.
He served in the army during World World War II, which conflict saw the end of his exhibiting.
After discharge, he became a wages clerk for Plessey and taught art part time. By the time of his death, aged 49, he had become so disenchanted with the art world that he had used one of his paintings, on board, as a shelf in a coal bunker. HIs estate at probate was worth £1442 8s.
The author David Buckman has described him as:
A number of Hawthorne"s works are in public collections in the United Kingdom, including Manchester Art Gallery, the Laing Art Gallery, Ulster Museum, Saint Anne"s College (University of Oxford), Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre, and the Harris Museum & Art Gallery.
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Born
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Died
1954 (aged 49) -
Nationality
United Kingdom