R. B. Kitaj

Ronald Brooks Kitaj was one of the greats: a key figure in European and American painting and a master draughtsman - the critic Robert Hughes said that he “draws better than almost anyone else alive.” American by birth, Kitaj took advantage of provisions in the GI Bill to settle in England in 1958 to study at the Ruskin School of Drawing, and later at the Royal College of Art where he became a dear friend of and great influence on David Hockney. Kitaj visited Salts Mill in the early days, giving Jonathan Silver kind encouragement. Over his lifetime he created a fascinating, varied and sometimes controversial body of work which can be found in the major galleries and museums of the world.