Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 45 works by Thomas Benjamin Kennington in our catalogue
In short
To the gallery's eye, Thomas Benjamin Kennington's most famous painting is Homeless (1890). Reverie (1875) and Parchedig David Edwardes (1836–1916), MA (1903) complete the trio every eye recognises. Of the 45 works by Thomas Benjamin Kennington in our catalog, the gallery presents the 45 most famous below, each original with its year, its museum and what makes it unique.
In this 1890 oil on canvas, Thomas Benjamin Kennington presents "Homeless," a work that offers a quiet, unflinching look at the urban poor. The painting captures a specific moment of human connection amidst the hardships of the late 19th century. It focuses on a woman dressed in black clothing, known as widow's weeds, who has paused her labors to offer comfort. She is seen dropping a washing bundle to console…
Thomas Benjamin Kennington's "Orphans," painted in 1885, isn’t merely a depiction of two children; it’s a poignant distillation of Victorian anxieties surrounding poverty and the vulnerability of childhood. The painting immediately draws the viewer into a scene of quiet desperation, yet also imbued with an unexpected tenderness. Kennington, a key figure within the New English Art Club, eschewed grand historical narratives or heroic subjects in favor of intimate portrayals of…
Peek frean cos biscuits London1891
12
The pinch of poverty1889 · Art Gallery of South Australia
13
The Mother1895
14
Portrait of Anne in Russian costume holding a balalaika1900
15
Waifs
16
Curiosity
17
St. Martin in the Fields
18
Portrait of Alexander Garthside White
19
Reading the Letter
20
Contemplation
21
A portrait of a lady in a garden wearing a pink dress holding an iris
22
Idle Hours
23
No Gossip
24
The Letter1912
25
A merry heart goes a long way1912
26
Temptation1914
27
Girl with doll
28
Shepherdess With Her Crook
29
The Wedding Dress
30
The Glory of Womanhood
31
Stella
32
Molly, the maid of the inn
33
Mischief (also known as Three Girl's heads)
34
Polishing the Brass
35
The Picture Book
36
The Siesta of Diana
37
Mother and Daughter
38
Lady Reading By A Window
39
The New Sonnet
40
Nest of the dryad
41
A portrait of a lady in a white dress with a pink sash by a balustrade
42
A Mother's Love
43
Serena, Found of Savages
44
Contemplation
45
The Letter
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 3 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Thomas Benjamin Kennington | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 National Library of Wales |
Aberystwyth | 1 | Parchedig David Edwardes (1836–1916), MA |
 Tate Gallery |
London | 1 | Orphans |
 Art Gallery of South Australia |
Adelaide | 1 | The pinch of poverty |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
Thomas Benjamin Kennington's "Orphans," painted in 1885, isn’t merely a depiction of two children; it’s a poignant distillation of Victorian anxieties surrounding poverty and the vulnerability of childhood. The painting immediately draws the viewer into a scene of quiet desperation, yet also imbued with an unexpected tenderness. Kennington, a key figure within the New English Art Club, eschewed grand historical narratives or heroic subjects in favor of intimate portrayals of…
In this 1890 oil on canvas, Thomas Benjamin Kennington presents "Homeless," a work that offers a quiet, unflinching look at the urban poor. The painting captures a specific moment of human connection amidst the hardships of the late 19th century. It focuses on a woman dressed in black clothing, known as widow's weeds, who has paused her labors to offer comfort. She is seen dropping a washing bundle to console…
Homeless (1890). Reverie (1875) and Parchedig David Edwardes (1836–1916), MA (1903) come next.
34 years old: Homeless dates from 1890, and Thomas Benjamin Kennington was born in 1856.
Homeless, Reverie, Parchedig David Edwardes (1836–1916), MA, Pandora, A Plume Of Smoke, The Toy Shop, Orphans, Widowed and Fatherless, Chatterboxes and The Pinch of poverty. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 45 works by Thomas Benjamin Kennington, dated from 1875 to 1914.
Mostly in National Library of Wales (Aberystwyth), Tate Gallery (London) and Art Gallery of South Australia (Adelaide). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1890s: 5 of the 45 works on this page were made then, Homeless among them.
On this page, the earliest is Reverie (1875) and the latest Temptation (1914).
Victorian era (10), Poverty (3) and Family (3), across the 45 works on this page.
Academic realism and Realism, judging by the originals on this page.
