ORPEN, SIR WILLIAM

born Nov. 27, 1878, Stillorgan, County Dublin, Ire. died Sept. 29, 1931, London, Eng. in full Sir William Newenham Montague Orpen British painter, best known for his vigorously characterized portraits; he was also an official artist during World War I. Orpen studied at the Dublin Municipal School of Art and at the Slade School, London. He first exhibited at the New English Art Club, of which he became a member in 1900. His portraits, which established his reputation, showed the influence of douard Manet. He also became known as a painter of such conversation pieces as Homage to Manet (1909; City Art Gallery, Manchester), which portrayed members of the contemporary English art world sitting in conversation beneath a famous portrait by that artist. Orpen was the official painter of the Peace Conference at Versailles after World War I, for which he painted The Signing of the Peace Treaty at Versailles (191920; Imperial War Museum, London). Orpen is now regarded as a facile and prolific but somewhat superficial artist who nevertheless achieved great popularity in his day. He was created knight commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1918 and elected a Royal Academician in 1919.