By Eric Kennington, 1921

Lawrence first consulted Doughty's Travels in Arabia Deserta in 1908 when he conceived the idea of making a walking tour to visit crusader castles in Syria. At D. G. Hogarth’s suggestion, he wrote asking Doughty's advice, and he met the famous traveller on at least one occasion before the First World War.

When Lawrence returned to England after the war he immediately renewed his acquaintance with Doughty, and he was subsequently responsible for having Travels in Arabia Deserta reprinted (see no. 195). Finding that Doughty was in financial straits, Lawrence also helped to raise funds and present one of Doughty's manuscripts (The Dawn in Britain) to the British Museum. During the same period he commissioned the Kennington portrait exhibited here, in the hope that it would eventually come to the National Portrait Gallery.

Lawrence was reluctant to show Doughty his own Seven Pillars of Wisdom, and was not surprised when Doughty offered little comment. The two continued to correspond, however, until Doughty’s death in 1926. Lawrence took a day’s leave form the RAF to attend the funeral.

Pastel, 48.3 x 36.8

Signed and dated br.: 21/Eric H. Kennington

Provenance: Commissioned by T. E. Lawrence; given by him to the National Gallery, Millbank and transferred to the National Portrait Gallery, 1926.

Literature: A. J. Arberry, British Orientalists, 1943, ill.