St. John's Church Wapping
Located in Douglas, Isle of Man
Rose Louise Henriques, Lady Henriques C.B.E. 1889-1972, was an English born artist , social and charity worker in the East End of London where she lived and worked for her entire life. She was posthumously recognised as a British hero of the Holocaust. She drew and painted scenes from the WWII bombing in London's East End, during WWI she worked as a nurse again in London. This painting shows the remains of the bombed building of St. John's church in Wapping which is opposite the park, the picture is representative of the area in the East End which suffered huge damage during the Blitz and the calm manner in which the local population carried on about their daily toil without fuss and distress, typical of the stiff upper lip known throughout the British Isles. The picture is signed and also inscribed on the reverse. I have included an alternative biography of the artist for your information. Lady Rose Louise Henriques (née Loewe; 17 August 1889 – 1972) was a prolific British artist, social activist, and philanthropist who dedicated her life to the communities of London’s Jewish East End. Alongside her prominent charitable projects, she produced an expansive visual record documenting the area’s street life, cultural transitions, and wartime trauma. Posthumously, her courageous welfare work during World War II and at the liberation of Bergen-Belsen earned her recognition as a British Hero of the Holocaust. Born in Stoke Newington, London, to an Orthodox Jewish family. Her father, James Henry Loewe, was a scholar and communal worker. At age 16, she moved to Breslau (now Wrocław) to study as a classical pianist. She returned home at the outbreak of World War I, shifting her life's direction toward communal service. In 1916, she married Jewish reformist Basil Henriques, forming a lifelong partnership in social welfare. Together with her husband, Rose became a pillars of East End social reform, earning her the affectionate nickname "The Missus" among local youth. In 1915, Rose founded a Jewish girls' club in Stepney to parallel the boys' club her husband had established. In 1919, they founded the St George's Jewish Settlement in Betts Street. It expanded into Berner Street in 1929, funded by Bernhard Baron. The settlement offered youth clubs, washrooms, and community services. It crucially served both Jewish and non-Jewish residents alike. In 1954, Rose founded the Workrooms for the Elderly in East London to support aging residents. Rose demonstrated immense bravery during periods of major global conflict, balancing direct emergency response with her community work. She served as a Red Cross nurse stationed...
1940s Landscape Paintings
Oil, Board
