Explore: Sir William Orpen

(1878 - 1931)

William Orpen was born in Stillorgan, County Dublin. He studied at the Slade School of Fine Art from 1897 to 1899 and in 1902, opened a school of art in Chelsea, London with Augustus John (1878-1961). In 1917, Orpen was appointed as an Official War Artist and made several sketches and paintings on the front line. In 1919 he was present as an official painter at the Paris Peace Conference, a meeting of diplomats of more than 30 countries that discussed how to establish lasting peace. Orpen was knighted in 1918 and became a Royal Academician in 1921.