John Cosmo Clark was a distinguished British painter, draughtsman, war artist, educator, and public servant. He was elected to the NEAC in 1946 and awarded the CBE in 1955.

Clark was celebrated for his vibrant street scenes, harbour views, sporting subjects, and urban landscapes. Working primarily in oil and watercolour, his paintings are noted for their rhythmic composition, refined colour, and keen observation.


Born on 24 January 1897 in Chelsea, London, Clark studied at Goldsmiths’ College of Art before serving as an officer with the London and Middlesex Regiment during the First World War. He sketched life at the front and was awarded the Military Cross in 1918. After the war, he continued his training at the Académie Julian in Paris and the Royal Academy Schools, where he met and later married fellow artist Jean Clark.

 

In the late 1920s, the Clarks spent two years in New York before returning to London, where they established a studio in Hammersmith. Clark later became Head of Hackney School of Art and served as a camouflage officer during the Second World War. From 1942 to 1963, Clark served as Director of the Rural Industries Bureau, a role for which he was honoured with the CBE.

 

His work was widely exhibited at the Royal Academy, Royal Watercolour Society, New English Art Club, the Paris Salon, and internationally. He was elected to the NEAC in 1946, the Royal Watercolour Society in 1952, and became a Royal Academician in 1958.


One of his most notable works, Scullers and Eights at Henley (also known as Scullers and crews practising on the Thames), was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1946 and selected for the Exhibition of Sport in Art during the 1948 London Olympic Games, where it received an Honourable Mention. The painting was later sold at Christie’s in 2012.


Clark’s work is held in public and private collections and continues to be admired for its technical skill, atmosphere, and sensitive portrayal of British life. He died in Hammersmith on 7 August 1967.

 

Selected Collections

  • Government Art Collection, UK
  • Royal Academy of Arts, London
  • Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, UK
  • Stationers' Hall, Corporation of London, City of London
  • New College, University of Oxford, UK
  • National Portrait Gallery, London
  • Royal West of England Academy (RWA), Bristol, UK
  • Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, Bournemouth, UK
  • The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, UK

 

Further material

Images of Cosmo Clark's artwork can be found on the following websites: