Sir George Clausen (1852 – 1944)
Sir George Clausen, born in London in 1852, began his career at the age of 14 at Messrs Trollope, a London firm of decorators. He later studied at the South Kensington School of Art and at the Antwerp Academy.
Clausen was influenced by William Quiller Orchardson and the rustic naturalism of Jules Bastien Lepage; under his influence Clausen began producing a series of works depicting peasants working on the land.
As a prominent member of the Society of British artists and as one of the founding members of the New English Art Club, Clausen was committed to reforming the selection process of the Royal Academy. He regularly exhibited at the RA and rose to such prominence that he was appointed professor of painting in 1904. In 1971 he was made an official war artist, a post which lead to many public commissions including a mural for the Houses of Parliament.
He died in 1944 aged 92.
Glossary
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Painting
Work of art made with paint on a surface. Often the surface, also called a support, is a tightly stretched piece of canvas, paper or a wooden panel. Painting involves a wide range of techniques and materials, along with the artist's intellectual concerns effecting the content of a work.
