Walter Richard Sickert

Walter Sickert was a prominent figure in the transition from Impressionism to Modernism in British art. He was influenced by James Abbott McNeill Whistler and Edgar Degas, whom he met in Paris. He was a member of the Camden Town Group, a circle of artists who depicted the realities of urban life in London. He also experimented with different techniques and media, such as etching, photography, and press images. He was known for his portraits of celebrities, such as George Bernard Shaw, Winston Churchill, and Queen Victoria, as well as his controversial paintings of murder scenes, such as The Camden Town Murder. He was a cosmopolitan and eccentric personality, who had a keen interest in music, theatre, and literature. He was also a prolific writer and critic, who published his views on art and culture in various journals. He taught at several art schools and influenced many younger artists, such as David Bomberg, Harold Gilman, and Spencer Gore. He died in 1942 at the age of 81, leaving behind a large and diverse body of work that reflects his originality and vision.