Reginald Grenville Eves

Biography Eves was born in 1876, the son of William Henry Eves, a London JP. In 1901 he had his first work shown at the Royal Academy. Eves established a successful society portrait practice in London and his subjects included Thomas Hardy, Sir Ernest Shackleton, George VI and Sir Max Beerbohm.

Lieutenant General Alan Brooke being painted by Eves, 30 April 1940. When the Second World War broke out, Eves was among the first artists offered a full-time, salaried contract by the War Artists' Advisory Committee, WAAC, and along with Barnett Freedman, Edward Ardizzone and Edward Bawden, was sent to France in 1940 with the British Expeditionary Force, BEF. There, Eves mainly painted portraits while based at a hotel in Arras. After he returned to Britain in April 1940, Eves salaried contract was allowed to lapse, as it was difficult for high-ranking officers to make time for lengthy portrait settings; he was to paint Gort and all the (BEF) corps commanders. Lieutenant General Alan Brooke sat for him on 23 and 29 April and 27 October but his portrait was not completed. He said that Eves should be good as he charges £1500 for a picture in private life. However he continued to undertake individual commissions for WAAC.

Eves died on 13 June 1941.