Editing Robert Lenkiewicz (section)

==Early life==
Robert Lenkiewicz was born in London in 1941, the son of refugees who ran a [[Jewish]] hotel in Fordwych Road. Robert Lenkiewicz spent his boyhood in the Hotel Shemtov in [[Cricklewood]], which was run by his parents. His mother was a German baroness and his father a Polish horse breeder who both fled [[Nazi Germany]] in 1939 and arrived in London as penniless refugees.<ref>http://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/whats-on/self-portraits-robert-lenkiewitcz-exhibition-p2032383 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> Lenkiewicz frequently stated in interview that the hotel's elderly residents included [[Holocaust survivor]]s but this is contradicted by the artist's brother John, who recollects that the residents tended to be the parents or grandparents of 2nd or 3rd generation [[English Jews]] (for instance, the mother of popular entertainer [[Dickie Valentine]]), though the hotel's Czechoslovakian cook, Mrs Bobek, was a survivor of the [[Bergen-Belsen concentration camp]]. Nevertheless, the loneliness and suffering the young painter witnessed at the hotel was "salutary and thought-provoking"<ref>Mallett, F. and Penwill, M.A., ''R.O. Lenkiewicz'' (1997). White Lane Press, United Kingdom.</ref> according to Lenkiewicz. Lenkiewicz was inspired to paint after seeing [[Charles Laughton]] in [[Alexander Korda]]'s [[biographical film]] ''[[Rembrandt (1936 film)|Rembrandt]]''. He attended Sir Christopher Wren junior technical school of art architecture and building from 1955 to 1958 graduating in art with distinction.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}   At 16, Lenkiewicz was accepted at [[Saint Martin's School of Art]] and later attended the [[Royal Academy]]. However, he was virtually impervious to [[contemporary art]] fashions, being more interested in his favourite paintings in the [[National Gallery (London)|National Gallery]].<ref name=indyobit/>

Inspired by the example of [[Albert Schweitzer]], Lenkiewicz threw open the doors of his studios to anyone in need of a roof – down and outs, addicts, criminals and the mentally ill congregated there. These individuals were the subjects of his paintings as a young man. However, such colourful characters were not welcomed by his neighbours and he was obliged to leave London in 1964.<ref name=guardianobit/>