Fine Art Poster
From $39
A giclée print on 200gsm matte fine art paper, using a twelve-colour process for accurate, fade-resistant colour. Supplied unframed, delivered flat or rolled.
Charles Buller Heberden, Principal - William Orpen
Regular price
$39.00 USD
Sale price
$39.00 USD
Regular price
Archival giclée
Frames arrive ready to hang
Secure checkout
Made to order
Description
A portrait of Charles Buller Heberden by William Orpen, capturing the academic in a moment of quiet study with expressive, painterly brushwork.
This portrait depicts Charles Buller Heberden, who served as the Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford. Painted by William Orpen in 1908, the work captures the subject in profile, engaged in the act of reading. Orpen employs a confident, painterly technique, using visible brushstrokes to define the form of the sitter and the academic robes he wears. The composition focuses on the interaction between the subject and the book, with the light source illuminating the pages and the side of Heberden's face. Orpen was a highly skilled draughtsman and painter, known for his ability to capture the character of his sitters through direct observation. In this piece, the dark, muted background provides a contrast to the lighter tones of the face and the open book. The academic attire, including the hood with its red trim, is rendered with economy, allowing the viewer to focus on the concentration of the subject. The brushwork is loose yet precise, a hallmark of Orpen's style during this period of his career. He avoids unnecessary detail, preferring to suggest texture and form through the application of paint. As an academic portrait, the work adheres to the traditions of the genre while displaying the artist's individual approach to light and shadow. The subject is presented in a moment of quiet study, reflecting the scholarly environment of the university. Orpen's ability to balance the formal requirements of a commission with his own artistic interests is evident here. The painting remains a clear example of early twentieth-century British portraiture, where the influence of French impressionist techniques began to merge with more traditional academic training. The result is a study of both the individual and the role he occupied within the institution.
Return policy
Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
Shipping
We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Complete The Look
Charles Buller Heberden, Principal - William Orpen
Regular price
From $39.00 USD
Sale price
From $39.00 USD
Regular price
Fine Art Poster / Small Square (30x30 cm) / -
Artist Biography
William Orpen
Orpen entered the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art at twelve and won virtually every prize available. He moved to the Slade School of Fine Art in London and repeated the performance. By his early thirties he was the most commercially successful portrait painter in Britain, earning what would now be millions of pounds per year from commissions by the wealthy and the powerful.
During the First World War he was sent to the Western Front as an official war artist for the British government. He was the most prolific of the war artists, producing 138 works: drawings and paintings of soldiers, dead men, German prisoners, ruined trenches, and the blank exhaustion that photographs of the period cannot quite capture. He donated all 138 to the British government. They are now in the Imperial War Museum.
After the war he painted The Signing of the Peace Treaty at Versailles, which should have been the capstone of his career. Instead it became a controversy. He also painted To the Unknown British Soldier in France, a composition that originally included ghostly military figures alongside a flag-draped coffin. The Imperial War Museum refused to accept it until he removed the figures in 1927.
He never fully recovered from the physical and mental effects of the war. He continued to paint society portraits at extraordinary prices (over 50,000 pounds a year by 1929), but those who knew him said something had changed.
He was Irish, from Stillorgan in County Dublin, a fact that became complicated as the independence movement gathered force during and after the war. He accepted a knighthood from the British crown. He died in 1931, aged fifty-two, and faded to near-total obscurity until 2001, when a portrait sold at Sotheby's for nearly two million pounds.
During the First World War he was sent to the Western Front as an official war artist for the British government. He was the most prolific of the war artists, producing 138 works: drawings and paintings of soldiers, dead men, German prisoners, ruined trenches, and the blank exhaustion that photographs of the period cannot quite capture. He donated all 138 to the British government. They are now in the Imperial War Museum.
After the war he painted The Signing of the Peace Treaty at Versailles, which should have been the capstone of his career. Instead it became a controversy. He also painted To the Unknown British Soldier in France, a composition that originally included ghostly military figures alongside a flag-draped coffin. The Imperial War Museum refused to accept it until he removed the figures in 1927.
He never fully recovered from the physical and mental effects of the war. He continued to paint society portraits at extraordinary prices (over 50,000 pounds a year by 1929), but those who knew him said something had changed.
He was Irish, from Stillorgan in County Dublin, a fact that became complicated as the independence movement gathered force during and after the war. He accepted a knighthood from the British crown. He died in 1931, aged fifty-two, and faded to near-total obscurity until 2001, when a portrait sold at Sotheby's for nearly two million pounds.
Our Features
Designed for Lasting Impact
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Made to order
Choose your finish
Every piece is printed to order. These are the five finishes, and what makes each one different.
Fine Art Framed
From $119
The same fine art print in a solid wood frame with UV-protective acrylic glaze and rigid backing. Five frame colours. Arrives ready to hang.
Premium Box Frame
From $189
A deeper solid wood frame: 33mm deep with a 20mm face and Perspex glaze. The print sits unmounted for a clean gallery presentation. Black, white or natural.
Canvas
From $59
Hand-stretched canvas with neat gallery-wrapped edges, giving the artwork surface texture and depth. Arrives ready to hang.
Framed Canvas
From $175
Stretched canvas set in a floating wood frame, our most substantial finish. Arrives ready to hang.
Why Choose Us ?
Damage-free delivery guarantee
Fast Shipping
Museum-Quality Materials
Artist Biography
William Orpen
Orpen entered the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art at twelve and won virtually every prize available. He moved to the Slade School of Fine Art in London and repeated the performance. By his early thirties he was the most commercially successful portrait painter in Britain, earning what would now be millions of pounds per year from commissions by the wealthy and the powerful.
During the First World War he was sent to the Western Front as an official war artist for the British government. He was the most prolific of the war artists, producing 138 works: drawings and paintings of soldiers, dead men, German prisoners, ruined trenches, and the blank exhaustion that photographs of the period cannot quite capture. He donated all 138 to the British government. They are now in the Imperial War Museum.
After the war he painted The Signing of the Peace Treaty at Versailles, which should have been the capstone of his career. Instead it became a controversy. He also painted To the Unknown British Soldier in France, a composition that originally included ghostly military figures alongside a flag-draped coffin. The Imperial War Museum refused to accept it until he removed the figures in 1927.
He never fully recovered from the physical and mental effects of the war. He continued to paint society portraits at extraordinary prices (over 50,000 pounds a year by 1929), but those who knew him said something had changed.
He was Irish, from Stillorgan in County Dublin, a fact that became complicated as the independence movement gathered force during and after the war. He accepted a knighthood from the British crown. He died in 1931, aged fifty-two, and faded to near-total obscurity until 2001, when a portrait sold at Sotheby's for nearly two million pounds.
During the First World War he was sent to the Western Front as an official war artist for the British government. He was the most prolific of the war artists, producing 138 works: drawings and paintings of soldiers, dead men, German prisoners, ruined trenches, and the blank exhaustion that photographs of the period cannot quite capture. He donated all 138 to the British government. They are now in the Imperial War Museum.
After the war he painted The Signing of the Peace Treaty at Versailles, which should have been the capstone of his career. Instead it became a controversy. He also painted To the Unknown British Soldier in France, a composition that originally included ghostly military figures alongside a flag-draped coffin. The Imperial War Museum refused to accept it until he removed the figures in 1927.
He never fully recovered from the physical and mental effects of the war. He continued to paint society portraits at extraordinary prices (over 50,000 pounds a year by 1929), but those who knew him said something had changed.
He was Irish, from Stillorgan in County Dublin, a fact that became complicated as the independence movement gathered force during and after the war. He accepted a knighthood from the British crown. He died in 1931, aged fifty-two, and faded to near-total obscurity until 2001, when a portrait sold at Sotheby's for nearly two million pounds.
You May Also Like