1878 — 1931

Nationality: United Kingdom

William Orpen was an Irish painter of the early twentieth century, a brilliant Edwardian portraitist and a war artist during the First World War. He cultivated incisive draughtsmanship, clear modelling and keen psychological observation. Paintings such as "The Signing of Peace in the Hall of Mirrors, Versailles" and "To the Unknown British Soldier in France" show the precision of his touch and the gravity of his gaze.