Augustus John OM RA

Augustus John (1878-1961) was born in Wales and was a successful portrait painter, draughtsman, etcher and lithographer.
He obtained commissions from many distinguished contemporaries including Dylan Thomas, W.B Yeats, Thomas Hardy and Lady Gregory. Briefly attended the Tenby School of Art he then travelled to London to study at the Slade School of Art in London under Henry Tonk, winning the Slade Prize in 1898 and moving to Paris shortly after to study independently. His marriage to his wife Ida Nettleship in 1901 saw him turn to teaching at the University of Liverpool to support his family. He was awarded the Order of Merit by King George VI (1942), was a trustee of the Tate Gallery (1933-1941) and was the President of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters (1948-1953).
John exhibited regularly with the New English Art Club, becoming a member in 1903, held a one-man show at the Carfax Gallery (1903) and became a member of the Royal Academy in 1928. A number of retrospective exhibitions of his work have been held, including at the National Gallery and the National Eisteddfod of Wales.