This article forms part of the Decorative and Applied Arts Encyclopedia, a master reference hub providing a structured overview of design history, materials, movements, and practitioners.
David Gentleman is a painter, graphic artist, and designer from the United Kingdom.
He studied illustration at the Royal College of Art under Edward Bawden and John Nash. He’s worked in watercolour, lithography, and wood engraving on various scales, from platform-length murals for London’s Charing Cross Underground Station to stamps and logos. David Gentleman’s work spans multiple artistic mediums with notable contributions in public spaces.
His subjects are paintings of landscapes, environmental posters, sketches of street life, and protest signs. He has written and illustrated several books, most about countries and cities. He also produced several commemorative postage stamps for the United Kingdom.
Biography David Gentleman
Gentleman was born in London and raised in Hertford, the son of Scottish artists Tom and Winifred Gentleman, who met at the Glasgow School of Art and married. He went to Hertford Grammar School and the St Albans School of Art, then served in the Royal Army Education Corps as an education serjeant in an art room in Cornwall before enrolling at the Royal College of Art. David Gentleman worked as a junior tutor there for two years before going independent.
Since 1956, he has lived and worked on Gloucester Crescent in Camden Town and Suffolk, only travelling for work. He has four children: a daughter with Rosalind Dease, a fellow RCA student, and two daughters and a boy with Susan Evans, the daughter of the novelist George Ewart Evans. Amelia, his and Susan’s daughter, is married to Jo Johnson, the brother of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Tate Britain, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the Postal Museum in London, and the Fitzwilliam Museum all have exhibitions of David Gentleman’s work.
Recognition and Legacy
In 1970, Gentleman earned the title of Royal Designer for Industry, Britain’s highest honour for designers. Gentleman’s works are housed in prestigious institutions, including Tate Britain, the British Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
His precise style, historical awareness, and deep engagement with the British landscape have influenced modern design and illustration. His work continues to shape contemporary visual storytelling in public spaces, publications, and graphic design.
Sources
Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.
Wikipedia contributors. (2021, September 4). David Gentleman. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:22, September 21, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Gentleman&oldid=1042266394
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