Sir William Orpen (1878-1931) was one of the great artists of the first quarter of the 20th century. Despite his highly successful career as a portrait artist he remained something of an enigma or an outsider. This well-illustrated monograph critically re-appraises the artist who at the time of his death was possibly the best known painter in Britain. This book reveals the full variety of Orpen's work covering his nudes, self-portraits & war paintings. Additional contributions from Prof. R F Foster & David Fraser Jenkins