Rose Henriques, Artist
In the fifth of my series of profiles of artists featured in EAST END VERNACULAR, Artists who painted London’s East End streets in the 20th century to be published by Spitalfields Life Books in October, I present the paintings of Rose Henriques. Click here to learn how you can support the publication of EAST END VERNACULAR
Portrait of Rose Henriques (1889- 1972) © Ian Berry
Born into an Orthodox Jewish family in Stoke Newington, Rose devoted herself to life of altruistic endeavour, serving as a nurse at Liverpool St Station in the First World War and then as an ambulance driver based in Cannon St Rd in the Second World War.
In 1917, she married Basil Henriques and together they established and ran the settlement in Berners St (later known as Henriques St) pursuing philanthropic work among the Jewish community in the East End for more than half a century.
Yet somehow Rose also managed to produce a stream of paintings that document the times she lived in intimate human detail, exhibiting her work at the Whitechapel Gallery from 1934 onwards and holding two solo shows there,’Stepney in War & Peace’ in 1947 and ‘Vanishing Stepney’ in 1961.
Coronation Celebrations in Challis Court, 1937
Nine O’Clock News, The Outbreak of War
The New Driver, Ambulance Station, Cannon St Rd
Next Day, Watney St Market, 1941
Bombed Second Time, The Foothills, Tilbury & Southend Railway Warehouses, 1941
Dual Purpose, School Yard in Fairclough St, Tilbury & Southend Railway Warehouses, forties
Line outside Civil Defence Shelter, Turner St, 1942
Stepney Green Synagogue, forties
The Brick Dump, Exmouth St, forties
Club Row Animal Market Carries On, 1943
Fait Accompli, Berner St, 1951
Workrooms for the Elderly, 1954
Archive images courtesy Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives
‘Nine O’clock News’ captures a profound moment powerfully.
I always loved her paintings, and she was a fantastic person, always concerned for the welfare of others. Valerie
Rose portrayed life for us all to see, her work lives on, she is in the heavens now. Her art takes us into a wartime London dramatic & historic pics. Rose served her country in two world war on the civilian front line we all must be proud of her. Her paintings deserve to be in the forthcoming big art book. Shalom sweet art lady. Poet John
Greetings from Boston,
GA, another great collection worthy of memorialization. Rose’s people are so real. Particularly impressed with “Nine O’Clock News, The Outbreak of War” and “The New Driver, Ambulance Station, Cannon St Rd.”
Continued success in preserving these treasures …
“Nine O’clock News” says it all. The collective family grouping, with the innocent family
pet seeming to review all the faces and body language……..the anxiety of what is ahead, the everyday cares and worries of the group suddenly thrust into a huge unknowable calamity.
This image portrays the fragility of everything, and the stalwart endurance — all in one
painting.
I am greatly impressed with this amazing artist.
A stunning series – and I can’t wait to spend time with this new book.
Extraordinary paintings. The humanity of the artist shines through.
Wonderful atmospheric paintings, indeed!
Love & Peace
ACHIM
Hello Gentle Author. Thank you so much for documenting the East End so lovingly. I am lucky enough to have a copy of East End Vernacular, and I revel in the stories of the artists and the way so many of them have captured the light and atmosphere of the East End.
In the Rose Henriques chapter, you give the old name of Henriques Street as Berners Street. It was actually Berner Street, and I’m mentioning it in case you do a reprint of this wonderful book.
Berner/Henriques Street means the world to me, because my first home was there, in Basil House, which I have always understood to be social housing provided by the Oxford and St George’s settlement. It’s only in the past few years that I have found out that Berner Street was the site where a woman was murdered by the notorious Ripper.