Seven Pillars of Wisdom · Chapter
List of Illustrations explained
Lawrence explains his motivation for commissioning portraits of the people in his book, describing the collaborative effort with artist Kennington and the challenges of producing the illustrations, including numerous proofs and printings.
What happens
Lawrence explains his motivation for commissioning portraits of the people in his book, describing the collaborative effort with artist Kennington and the challenges of producing the illustrations, including numerous proofs and printings. He lists the titles of the illustrations and the artists who created them, along with the names of individuals depicted in portraits.
Themes in this chapter
Identity and Betrayal
Lawrence's desire to have portraits drawn as an 'appeal to a higher court' against his own descriptions touches on the theme of identity and the potential for misrepresentation.
Suffering and Endurance
The mention of 'Dysentery', 'Nightmare', and 'Camel Ambulance' among the illustrations reflects the suffering endured during the campaign.
Characters to notice
- T.E. Lawrence
Author who commissioned the portraits and oversaw the illustration process.
- Emir Feisal
Depicted in a portrait titled 'Feysal' by John.
- Auda abu Tayi
Depicted in a portrait by Kennington.
- Sherif Ali ibn el Hussein
Depicted in a portrait by Kennington.
- Sherif Abdulla
Depicted in a portrait titled 'Emir Abdulla' by Kennington.
- Jaafar Pasha
Depicted in a portrait by Kennington.
Key passages
“It seemed to me that every portrait drawing of a stranger-sitter partook somewhat of the judgment of God. If I could get the named people of this book drawn, it would be their appeal to a higher court against my summary descriptions.”
Lawrence felt that a portrait of a stranger carried a sense of divine judgment, and he wanted the subjects of his book to have their own visual representation as a counterbalance to his written accounts.
Lawrence explains his philosophical motivation for including portraits in the book.
“If anybody likes any of these illustrations, he owes thanks to Kennington, who apart from his creative work, took over the duty of art-editor and for five years oversaw each proof of every block.”
Credit for the quality of the illustrations goes to Kennington, who not only created art but also acted as art editor, meticulously checking proofs for five years.
Lawrence acknowledges Kennington's extensive contribution to the illustration process.