Glyn Philpot (1884-1937)

Glyn Warren Philpot (5 October 1884 – 16 December 1937) was an English artist, best known for his portraits of contemporary figures such as Siegfried Sassoon and Vladimir Rosing. Philpot was born in Clapham, London but the family moved to Herne in Kent shortly afterwards. Although homosexual, Philpot was a practising Christian who converted to Roman Catholicism. Philpot studied at the Lambeth School of Arts (now known as City and Guilds of London Art School) in 1900, and at the Academie Julian in Paris. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1904 and was elected to that establishment in 1923. He was a member of the International Society from 1913 and in that year he was awarded the gold medal at the Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh. Some of his later work was considered controversial in its time because of the explicit sexual imagery, and this led to a loss of popularity which caused him financial hardship.

Exhibitions have been held at The Tate Gallery (1938), The Ashmolean Museum, The National Portrait Museum, of which he was a founder member in 1911, and Pallant House Gallery. He was a member of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers.

Exhibited: Baillie Gallery 59, Colnaghi and Sons Galleries 2, Chenil and New Chenil Galleries 2, Fine Arts Society 7, Grosvenor Gallery 3, Glasgow Institute of Fine Art 4, Goupil Gallery 8, International Society 30, Walker Gallery Liverpool 15, Leicester Gallery 77, London Salon 5, Royal Society of Portrait Painters 11, Royal Academy 54, Redfern Gallery 76, Royal Institute of Oil Painters 13, Royal Scottish Academy 9.