Portrait

The son of an architect, Harold Speed initially studied architecture at the Royal College of Art, but changed to painting, winning a gold medal for life studies in 1890. He went on to study at the Royal Academy Schools, 1891-6, again winning a gold medal. He painted mythological subjects, landscapes and portraits and exhibited at the Royal Academy for 40 years from 1893 and at many other venues, including the Fine Art Society, Leicester Galleries and Royal Society of British Artists. He was Master of the Art Workers’ Guild for nine years from 1916 and wrote The Science and Practice of Drawing (1913) and The Science and Practice of Painting (1924). Examples of his work are in many public collections including the Tate Gallery and National Portrait Gallery.