Harold Clayton

(1896 – 1979)

Harold Clayton was born in 1896 in the City of London. He studied at Hackney, Harrow, Hornsey and St Martin’s School of Art – mostly under the tutorship of Norman James. Many of his pictures were exhibited at The Royal Academy, not only in oils and watercolours, but in wood engraving as well.

He worked mainly in Hampstead and Suffolk and for a number of years lived in complete isolation in a 300 year old farmhouse in one of the most beautiful parts of Devon. Here he grew many of the beautiful flowers he used in the compositions of his paintings.

He moved to Cyprus in 1965 and lived happily there until the invasion of the Turks in 1974. He was rescued from the beach of Kerinia by a Royal Naval helicopter where he was winched aboard in a dramatic, if undignified manner – with a rolled canvas under his arm! Apart from a few personal belongings, this was the only possession he had. His car was left on the beach and either confiscated or destroyed. He returned to Cyprus after the Armistice to find his home looted and damaged beyond recovery.

He eventually returned to his beloved Devonshire where he spent the last three years of his life. A number of his paintings were reproduced in print form and as signed limited editions.

He died in his sleep on 1 March 1979.