The Artist and the Engineer: Alfred Egerton Cooper and Barnes Wallis
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Dates: 1st June - 13th June 2026
Darnley Fine Art is delighted to announce a unique exhibition celebrating the lifelong friendship between two men at the forefront of their chosen fields: artist Alfred Egerton Cooper and engineer Sir Barnes Wallis, portraying their shared passion for aviation. Cooper was a renowned portraitist and an Official War Artist to the RAF, famed for his depictions of Airforce personnel. Wallis is a key figure in British history, at the forefront of British airship design during both the First and Second World Wars, undoubtedly contributing in no small part to the Allied victory. Wallis was the inventor of the innovative bouncing bomb, responsible for the successful key raids on German dams. This was immortalised in the iconic 1955 film The Dam Busters in which two of the works in the exhibition feature, hanging on the wall of Wallis’ office.
This exhibition puts Cooper’s stunning depictions of Wallis’ airships at its heart, providing a rare opportunity to view these works together. The exceptional and distinguished careers of both men are highlighted, with the display charting their meeting in the Artists Rifles during the First World War, a bond that would last through the inter-war period and beyond.
This will be the final opportunity to buy these works of national importance, which beautifully illustrate the intertwining of Cooper and Barnes’ fascination with aviation.