Stephen Baghot de la Bere (1877-1927)

Painter, illustrator and cartoonist. Baghot-de-la-Bere, or de-la-Bery, was born in Leicestershire and educated at Ilkley College, Yorkshire. He moved to London in the early years of the 20th century and attended Westminster School of Art having briefly attended Leicester School of Art. He then started to contribute illustrations and cartoons to Bystander, Illustrated London News, London Opinion and Pears Annual. His cartoons in the Sketch rather foreboding in the manner of S. H. Sime, were especially eye-catching. At the same time he was painting Expressionist watercolours of some merit having been elected RI in 1908. He was also elected a member of the London Sketch Club. His early cartoons were influenced by the posters of John Hassall, but he was to develop a style not dissimilar to some of the German artists’ of the magazine Simplieissimus. His work is arguably almost unique in British Art and his friend and neighbour Edmund Dul