Exhibitions
Stephen Tennant at the Dorian Leigh Gallery, London, April 1921
Stephen’s first exhibition was held at the Dorien Leigh Gallery in South Kensington in 1921, he was just 15. The Bird’s Fancy Dress Ball, containing the drawings Stephen produced when he was 13, was produced to accompany the exhibition.
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“The drawings in the book have their foundations in Tennant’s schoolroom doodles and consist of anthropomorphic animals wearing fashionable attire. They are caricatures, satirical in nature, mocking vanities and sensibilities of society.”
Stephen Tennant at the Iolas Gallery, April 1955
An exhibition of Stephen's work was held at the Iolas Gallery, 46 East 57 Street, New York, from April 25, 1955.
Paintings and Fantasies at the Sagittarius Gallery, Rome, April 1956
An Exhibition of Paintings and Fantasies by Stephen Tennant at the Sagittarius Gallery, Rome, 1st to 10th April 1956. During the mid-1950s Tennant had a series of small exhibitions in London and New York. The shows themselves received mixed reviews and although financially successful most of the sales were made to Tennant's own society friends.
The exhibition catalogue, which includes an open letter from Stephen to Rex Kivell, The Redfern Gallery, London 'Abstract Art is a Clarifier' and an essay by Stephen ‘A Reassessment of Poetry’ can be read on Lilium’s Compendium.
A Collection of Drawings and designs at Gallery One, London, November 1956
"The catalogue for an exhibition of Stephen Tennant's drawings held at Victor Musgrave's new gallery Gallery One on D'Arblay Street, Soho. For the opening party of the Gallery One show it was estimated 150 people attended. Lady Juliet Duff opened the exhibition, Stephen Spender gave a few introductory words."
The catalogue contains a list of 27 works by Tennant. It also includes three poems by the artist - 'The legacy of quiet', 'Venice: early morning' and 'The promise'.
Rex Whistler, Stephen Tennant and their two semi-circles, Michael Parkin Gallery, London, 1987
The Rex Whistler, Stephen Tennant and their two semi-circles exhibition held at the Michael Parkin Gallery examined the work of Rex Whistler and Stephen Tennant, and their contemporaries. Whistler and Tennant met as students at the Slade in the early 1920s and became firm friends. They travelled together and, although they held very different artistic styles and outlooks, they shared an interest in poetry and the romantic.
The exhibition catalogue lists a number of items by the pair, as well as works by Mary Adshead, John Banting, Cecil Beaton, Lord Berners, Philip Gough, Oliver Messel, Pavel Tchelitchew and Barbara Townsend.
The Rose of Apollo is Gloomed With Fatal Snow, Viktor Wynd Fine Art, May 2011
The Rose of Apollo is Gloomed With Fatal Snow was an exhibition dedicated to the paintings & drawings of Stephen Tennant held at Viktor Wynd Fine Art, May 2011.
“The Gallery will be transformed into a set reminiscent of Tennant’s Wilsford manor using his curtains, painted shells and knick-knacks whilst presenting an in depth survey of his paintings, drawings and doodling’s. Portraits of Stephen & Wilsford by Cecil Beaton will be displayed, courtesy of Sotheby’s and Nicky Haslam is lending never before seen footage of Stephen Tennant.”
Stephen Tennant: Work in Progress, Beinecke Rare Book Library, Connecticut January 2014
Stephen Tennant: Work in Progress was an exhibition held at the Beinecke Rare Book Library, Yale University, Connecticut, that ran from January 18 to May 28, 2014
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“Tennant left a legacy of archival documents that were dispersed at auction following his death. The Beinecke Library has reconstructed a part of his archives - hundreds of pages of drafts for “Lascar” and letters from and to Cather, Spender, Du Maurier, and Beaton. This exhibition showcases the potential found in his documentary legacy. While fragmentary, the individual drafts, drawings, and correspondences show a highly inventive mind and a supremely creative hand.”
