What is thought to be the last ever painting of famed writer DH Lawrence is set to be purchased by Nottingham City Council and put on display. The Eastwood-born poet is recognised internationally and his portrait had been in the possession of a private collector in the USA.
Lawrence had been a teacher at what is now the University of Nottingham and his unorthodox work led to him becoming an internationally-recognised cultural figure. One of his most striking features was the fact he was one of the first working-class novelists, having been the son of a coal miner, and had practised his craft by visiting his local library.
The outbreak of the First World War in 1914, however, meant Lawrence felt forced to flee the country, having run off to marry his German lover, and the wife of his former university professor, Frieda von Richthofen. It was a period in his life he termed the 'savage pilgrimage'.
