Augustus John

(1878 – 1961)
Augustus John studied at the Slade School in London in the 1890s, and won the Slade Prize in 1898 with Moses and the Brazen Serpent. By the age of 25 was the most famous British artist of his day.When the First World War broke out in 1914, John obtained a commission in the Canadian Army and was given permission to paint withour censorship on the Western Front. After two months in France he was sent home in disgrace after taking part in a fight.

John was sent back to France but only completed one painting, Fraternity. He also attended the Versailles Peace Conference in 1919 where he painted the portraits of several delegates.

By the 1920s John was Britain’s leading portrait painter. Those who sat for him included Thomas Hardy, George Bernard Shaw and T.E. Lawrence.

Epstein met John in London in 1905, and they sat for each other.