John Melhuish Strudwick

Disliking the idea of a business career, he took classes at the Royal Academy Schools in South Kensington, but was not regarded as a promising student.

He married Harriet Reed and had a single daughter, Ethel (1880–1954), who later became High Mistress of St Paul's Girls' School from 1927 to 1948, and was appointed a CBE.

[3][4] His initial success as a painter came to an end when wealthy and influential patrons such as the Liverpool shipowners William Imrie and George Holt withdrew their support.

His painting "When Sorrow comes in Summer Days, Roses Bloom in Vain" was left half finished in protest at the seemingly orchestrated collapse of his career.

[5][6] Strudwick's paintings were done in a blend of medieval and Renaissance styles, with meticulous attention to detail, especially in his treatment of draperies and accessories, and leading to a very small output.