William Heath Robinson

© the copyright holder. Image credit: National Portrait Gallery, London

How you can use this image

This image can be used for non-commercial research or private study purposes, and other UK exceptions to copyright permitted to users based in the United Kingdom under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended and revised. Any other type of use will need to be cleared with the rights holder(s).

Review the copyright credit lines that are located underneath the image, as these indicate who manages the copyright (©) within the artwork, and the photographic rights within the image.

The collection that owns the artwork may have more information on their own website about permitted uses and image licensing options.

Review our guidance pages which explain how you can reuse images, how to credit an image and how to find images in the public domain or with a Creative Commons licence available.

Notes

Add or edit a note on this artwork that only you can see. You can find notes again by going to the ‘Notes’ section of your account.

Robinson came from a dynasty of wood-engravers and commercial artists. He studied at Islington Art School and the Royal Academy Schools, and in 1903 married the daughter of the editor of the Penny Illustrated Paper. Influenced by art nouveau line drawings and Japanese prints, he became illustrator of the Arabian Nights, Rabelais and Shakespeare. He found his niche with drawings of absurd machines performing banal tasks. His sense of the ridiculous boosted morale in both World Wars. In 1934, the full-scale working house for 'the Gadget Family' was built from his drawings for the Ideal Home Exhibition at Olympia. His name is used to describe complicated, ramshackle and usually pointless machines.

National Portrait Gallery, London

London

Title

William Heath Robinson

Date

1943

Medium

oil on board

Measurements

H 40.6 x W 30.2 cm

Accession number

5906

Acquisition method

Bequeathed by the sitter's daughter, Joan Brinsmead, 1986

Work type

Painting

Tags

See a tag that’s incorrect or offensive? Challenge it and notify Art UK.

Help improve Art UK. Tag artworks and verify existing tags by joining the Tagger community.

National Portrait Gallery, London

St Martin’s Place, London, Greater London WC2H 0HE England

This venue is open to the public. Not all artworks are on display. If you want to see a particular artwork, please contact the venue.
View venue