William Dring RA RWS RP (1904-1990)

William Dring was a painter, teacher and war artist. He was born 1904 in Streatham, London. He studied under Henry Tonks at the Slade School of Art and developed a strong reputation as a portrait and figure painter.

He then went on to teach at Southampton School of art from 1925 until 1940, when his services were required for the War Artists Advisory Committee. He became a full-time Official War Artist in 1942. During the war he specialised in pastel portraits, mainly drawing navy personnel.

After the war the demand for his work continued and he received commissions including the presentation of the Freedom of the City of London to Queen Elizabeth II in 1947 and portraits of the five most influential benchers of Lincoln’s Inn: Mrs Thatcher; Lord Denning; Mr Megarry; Lord Hailsham; and Lord Widgery.

He died in 1990