Thomas Cantrell Dugdale

Thomas Cantrell Dugdale (2 June 1880 – 13 November 1952) was a British artist. He was a member of the Royal Academy, was a renowned portrait painter and served as a war artist in both World War One and World War Two.

Biography

Dugdale was born in Blackburn in Lancashire and attended Manchester Grammar School. He initially studied art at the Manchester School of Art before continuing his studies at the Royal College of Art. He also studied at the City and Guilds of London Art School and in Paris at the Academie Julian and the Académie Colarossi. Dugdale first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1901 and continued to do so until 1952. In 1910 he enlisted in the British Army and during World War One, Dugdale served as a staff sergeant in the Middlesex Yeomanry in Egypt, Palestine and Gallipoli. While on active service Dugdale continued to paint and four of these pieces were acquired by the British War Memorials Committee. A selection of Dugdale's paintings from Palestine and Egypt were shown at the Leicester Galleries in London in April 1919. The Witt Library has a number of political cartoons by Dugdale, possibly dating from around 1914 but it is unclear if, or where, they were intended for publication.

During World War Two, Dugdale lived in Suffolk where he organised a Home Guard unit.

In addition to his oil paintings, Dugdale designed book covers and was also a textile designer. Early in his career he designed woodcut decorations for some books.

His work was also part of the art competitions at the 1932 Summer Olympics and the 1948 Summer Olympics.

Memberships 1910: Member, Royal Institute of Oil Painters 1943: Elected full member of the Royal Academy.