Collections

The son of a merchant, Lavery was orphaned at a young age and was raised by his aunt and uncle. At the age of ten he moved to Saltcoats in Ayrshire and then to Glasgow where he worked as a photographer's assistant and attended classes at the Haldane Academy. In 1879 he studied for six months in London and in 1881 he travelled to Paris where he enrolled at the Academie Julian and studied in the evenings at Colarossi's studio. In 1883 he was working at Grez - sur - Loing. He returned to Glasgow in 1884 and soon became associated with the group of artists known as the "Glasgow Boys". He established a name for himself as a society portraitist and was friends with Whistler. He travelled to North Africa in 1891and also continued his travels to France throughout his career. During the First World War he painted a number of war works and he was knighted in 1918. He exhibited at the RSA from 1881 until 1940. He became an Associate Member of the RSA in 1892 and an Academician in 1896.