Biography

Feliks Topolski was born in Warsaw, Poland. He studied at the Academy of Art in Warsaw, and spent time in Italy and Paris, before settling in Britain in 1935. During the Second World War, Topolski became one of a number of official war artists tasked with depicting scenes from the war. The artist worked from the front lines in a number of countries, witnessing the Battle of Britain and the collapse of the Nazi regime. Known for his expressionistic style, Topolski made a large number of drawings and paintings of his contemporaries, including literary figures T.S. Elliot, George Bernard Shaw, and H.G. Wells. He was elected a senior Royal Academician in 1989.