George Belcher

George Belcher was born in London on 19 September 1875. After an education at the prestigious Berkhamsted School, he began to work as a portraitist and caricaturist in a variety of media, regularly exhibiting at the Royal Academy from 1909. Belcher contributed to Punch on a regular basis, as well as to the Tatler and Vanity Fair. He became well known for his studies in chalk and charcoal, drawing comparisons with the great Phil May from no less an authority than Fougasse. Belcher was afforded one of the greatest artistic honours when he was elected a full member of the Royal Academy in 1946: this was an extraordinary achievement for a humorous artist. In later life Belcher moved to Chiddingfold, Surrey, where he began to paint still life and flowers in oils. He died there on 3 October 1947.