Oswald Hornby J. Birley Paintings

Oswald Hornby Joseph Birley was a prominent British portrait painter, born on March 31, 1880, in New Zealand while his English parents were on a world tour. He was educated in England and later studied art at the Heatherley School of Fine Art in London and at the Académie Julian in Paris.

Birley developed a reputation for his portraits, which combined a traditional approach with a certain freshness and vitality. He painted many notable figures of his time, including royalty, politicians, and military leaders. During the First World War, he served with the Grenadier Guards, and his experiences during the war influenced his work, leading to several military portraits.

In 1921, Birley married the Irish-American heiress Rhoda Vava Mary Lecky Pike. His wife and son, Mark Birley, who later became a well-known London nightclub owner, were often subjects of his paintings. Birley was a prolific artist and exhibited his work widely, including at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, where he became an Associate in 1926 and a Royal Academician in 1938.

Oswald Birley is also known for his significant contribution to art during the Second World War, during which he served as an official war artist. He painted numerous military and political figures, including Winston Churchill, with whom he had a long-standing professional relationship. Churchill sat for Birley on several occasions, and the resulting portraits are some of Birley's most acclaimed works.

After the war, Birley continued to paint and remained a respected figure in the British art world until his death on May 6, 1952. His works are part of various collections, including those of the National Portrait Gallery in London. Birley's legacy as a portrait painter is marked by his ability to capture his subjects with both realism and a sense of their inner life, making him one of the notable British portraitists of the 20th century.