Harold Speed

Born in London on 11 February 1872, Harold Speed first studied architecture at the Royal College of Art before turning to painting. He continued his training at the Royal Academy Schools, where he won major student prizes and a travelling scholarship that took him to Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain.

Speed worked in oil and watercolor, painting portraits, figure subjects, and historical scenes. He exhibited widely, including at the Royal Academy, and became known not only as a skilled draughtsman but also as a respected teacher and writer on art.

Today he is remembered especially for books such as The Practice and Science of Drawing, The Science and Practice of Oil Painting, and What is the Good of Art? Those books have remained in print long after his death in London on 20 March 1957, which says a lot about the lasting value of his ideas for working artists.