Rex Whistler Archive

Rex Whistler Collection

The artist Rex Whistler (1905-1944) is most famous for the exceptional mural designs he was commissioned to undertake for the Tate Gallery restaurant; Plas Newydd, Anglesey; Port Lympne and Mottisfont Abbey. His skills as an artist covered a vast variety of different media including stage, set and costume design for theatre, opera, ballet; book illustration; advertising and portraiture.

The museum has five oil paintings on display by Whistler and also holds his archive which we acquired in 2013 with support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, V&A Purchase Grant Fund and Friends of the National Libraries.

Advert design for Shell
Shell engaged artists such as...
Army Lecture Notebook
How to deal with tanks...
Billingsgate Market
Sketch of Billingsgate Market. Rex...
Bookplate
This is one of the...
Brook House mural design
Rex was commissioned by Lord...
Brook House mural design
Muscial trophy design for the...
Brook House mural design
Mural design for Brook House. Rex...
Christmas card for Welsh Guards
Rex joined the Welsh Guards...
Cochran’s 1931 revue scene design
Suburban street scene design for...
Cochran’s Big Top curtain design
Curtain design for 'Johnny One...
Edith Olivier on a day-bed at the Daye House, Wilton Park
Unsigned, but inscribed on the...
Gulliver’s Travels: Dwarf shaking apples on Gulliver
Engraving from Gulliver's Travels published...
Gulliver’s Travels: Gulliver and Captain Pritchard
Engraving from Gulliver's Travels published...
Haddon Hall, Derbyshire
Drawing of Haddon Hall, Derbyshire....
Hans Andersen: The Constant Tin-Soldier
Illustration for The Constant Tin-Soldier...
Hans Andersen: The Emperor’s New Clothes
Illustration for The Emperor's New...
Hans Andersen: The Marsh King’s Daughter
Illustration for The Marsh King's...
Hans Andersen: The Naughty Boy
Illustration for The Naughty Boy...
Hans Andersen: The Old Street Lamp
Illustration for The Old Street...
Hans Andersen: What the Moon Saw
Illustration for What the Moon...
L’horloge for Charles Baudelaire
It is inspired by Charles...
London Museum poster
Poster commissioned by the London...
Lord Granby
Profile of Lord Granby as...
Love for Love curtain design
Curtain design for Love for...
Lunch time on field day, Haileybury OTC
Sketch of the Officer Training...
Port Lympne mural design
Mural design for the Tent...
Port Lympne mural design
Mural design for the Tent...
Port Regis mural design
This sketch for a mural...
Raid of the French
The events of the First...
Rake’s Progress act drop design
Rex Whistler did the original...
Reversible face: The mad wife and the farmer
The reversible faces were originally...
Reversible face: The scholar and the bruiser
The reversible faces were originally...
Rome sketchbook – frontispiece
Rex was awarded a honorary...
Rome sketchbook: Tivoli
Fountain in the Renaissance gardens...
Royal Drawing Society entry
Entry by Rex Whistler for...
Rugby at Haileybury School
Rex's sketchbooks from 1919 until...
Self Portrait
Self portrait from 1924 undertaken...
Shadwell Highways boys’ club mural design
Mural design for the proscenium...
Shadwell Highways boys’ club mural design
Mural design for the proscenium...
Sketchbook image: Approach to my house
Sketch from the '1923A' sketchbook....
Sketchbook image: Back stairs to servants quarters at my palace
Humourous iIlustration from the '1923A'...
Sketchbook image: My private bath room
Humourous iIlustration from the '1923A'...
Sketchbook image: Palladian Bridge at Wilton House
Drawn on his first visit...
The Dairy Bridge looking towards the Palladian Bridge, Wilton Park
Unsigned, but Edith Olivier recorded...
The Daye House, Wilton Park
Unsigned, the house viewed from...
The Daye House, Wilton Park from near the entrance gates
The opposite view to the Entrance...
The Emperor Heart: Nude figure falling
Illustration for The Emperor Heart...
The Emperor Heart: Skull among leaves
Illustration for The Emperor Heart...
The Emperor Heart: Village with church
Illustration for The Emperor Heart...
The Entrance Gates to the Daye House, Wilton Park
Unsigned, but believed painted 19...
The Epicurean
Design for the cover of...
The Next Volume: And Elsewhere
Illustration for The Next Volume...
The Sleeping Princess programme
An elaborate programme in the...
Trial Scene from the Merchant of Venice
Sketch of the Trial Scene...
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