Charles Ricketts (1866–1931) is one of the most intriguing yet least understood figures in British art. He was multi-talented: a book illustrator who founded the short-lived Vale Press, personally creative across a range of media, including painting and sculpture, an exceptionally imaginative theatrical designer, and an author and critic of considerable insight. His letters reveal him in a new light – opinionated, argumentative, witty and articulate. His accounts of London during the Great War are historically valuable, and his sympathies for the young men at the front are touching. His...

Charles Ricketts (1866–1931) is one of the most intriguing yet least understood figures in British art. He was multi-talented: a book illustrator who founded the short-lived Vale Press, personally creative across a range of media, including painting and sculpture, an exceptionally imaginative theatrical designer, and an author and critic of considerable insight. His letters reveal him in a new light – opinionated, argumentative, witty and articulate. His accounts of London during the Great War are historically valuable, and his sympathies for the young men at the front are touching. His...

Charles Ricketts (1866–1931) is one of the most intriguing yet least understood figures in British art. He was multi-talented: a book illustrator who founded the short-lived Vale Press, personally creative across a range of media, including painting and sculpture, an exceptionally imaginative theatrical designer, and an author and critic of considerable insight. His letters reveal him in a new light – opinionated, argumentative, witty and articulate. His accounts of London during the Great War are historically valuable, and his sympathies for the young men at the front are touching. His...