Eric Liddell, 1902 - 1945. Athlete and missionary
About this artwork
This drawing is a study for Soper’s portrait of Eric Liddell, which is also in the National Galleries of Scotland Collections. The portrait was painted in 1925, a year after the runner’s famous victory at the men’s 400 metres at the Paris Olympics. Soper was a family friend and it is no small achievement that he allowed her to paint his portrait as he was a strict evangelical Christian and a pillar of the Scottish Congregational Church, who preached against personal vanity and who disapproved of pictures on religious grounds. No other portraits of him exist.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Eileen Soper (1905 - 1990) English
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title:Eric Liddell, 1902 - 1945. Athlete and missionary
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date created:About 1925
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materials:Pencil on paper
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measurements:24.70 x 19.00 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased 1996
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accession number:PG 3018
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gallery:
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depicted:
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subject:
Eileen Soper
Eileen Soper
Best known as the original illustrator of Enid Blyton's books, Eileen Soper was particularly fond of depicting children and animals. She was born in Enfield, Middlesex, and then moved to Hertfordshire where her artist father, George, created a wildlife sanctuary in their garden. Soper sketched many...