Sir William Orpen

1878–1931

Sir William Orpen, ‘The Mirror’ 1900 — The Mirror 1900
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Aftermath: Art in the Wake of World War One

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Biography

Major Sir William Newenham Montague Orpen, (27 November 1878 – 29 September 1931), was an Irish artist who worked mainly in London. Orpen was a fine draughtsman and a popular, commercially successful, painter of portraits for the well-to-do in Edwardian society, though many of his most striking paintings are self-portraits.

During World War I, he was the most prolific of the official artists sent by Britain to the Western Front. There he produced drawings and paintings of ordinary soldiers, dead men, and German prisoners of war, as well as portraits of generals and politicians. Most of these works, 138 in all, he donated to the British government and they are now in the collection of the Imperial War Museum. His connections to the senior ranks of the British Army allowed him to stay in France longer than any of the other official war artists, and although he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1918 King's birthday honours list, and also elected a member of the Royal Academy of Arts, his determination to serve as a war artist cost him both his health and his social standing in Britain.

After his early death, a number of critics, including other artists, were loudly dismissive of his work and for many years his paintings were rarely exhibited, a situation that only began to change in the 1980s.

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Artworks

Sir William Orpen, ‘The Mirror’ 1900

Sir William Orpen The Mirror

1900

N02940

Sir William Orpen, ‘Zonnebeke’ 1918

Sir William Orpen Zonnebeke

1918

On display at Tate Britain part of Aftermath T07694

Sir William Orpen, ‘The Angler’ c.1912

Sir William Orpen The Angler

c.1912

N02997

Sir William Orpen, ‘Anita’ 1905

Sir William Orpen Anita

1905

T07136

Sir William Orpen, ‘Anatomical Study, Male Torso’ c.1906

Sir William Orpen Anatomical Study, Male Torso

c.1906

T13365

Sir William Orpen, ‘The Model’ 1911

Sir William Orpen The Model

1911

N03530

Sir William Orpen, ‘Lady Orpen’ exhibited 1907

Sir William Orpen Lady Orpen

exhibited 1907

N03549

Sir William Orpen, ‘Sir William McCormick’ 1920

Sir William Orpen Sir William McCormick

1920

N03628

Artist as subject

Sir Max Beerbohm, ‘The New English Art Club’ 1907

Sir Max Beerbohm The New English Art Club

1907

N06075

Sir Max Beerbohm, ‘Bravura: Sir William Orpen’ 1914

Sir Max Beerbohm Bravura: Sir William Orpen

1914

View by appointment N06043

Anita Bartle, Grant Richards (London, UK), ‘This is my Birthday’ 1902

Anita Bartle, Grant Richards (London, UK) This is my Birthday

1902

TGA 969/2/4

Ben Nicholson OM, ‘Copy of a typescript with the heading, ‘William Nicholson’’ March 1967

Ben Nicholson OM Copy of a typescript with the heading, ‘William Nicholson’

March 1967

View by appointment TGA 8717/3/1/20

Henry Scott Tuke, ‘Diary of Henry Scott Tuke’ 12 March 1899–31 December 1905

Henry Scott Tuke Diary of Henry Scott Tuke

12 March 1899–31 December 1905

TGA 9019/1/1/1

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