William Scott was a British artist known for his paintings and still-life compositions that explored the beauty in simplicity. He was born in Greenock, Scotland and was brought up in Northern Ireland, where he studied at the Belfast College of Art. After completing his studies, he moved to London to continue his artistic education at the Royal Academy Schools. Scott's work was influenced by the British modernist movement and he was inspired by the simplicity of traditional still-life compositions. He often used basic geometric shapes, such as squares, circles, and triangles, in his paintings, which were inspired by objects he found around his studio. He also incorporated Irish motifs and symbols, such as the Harp and the Book of Kells, into his work. In the 1950s, Scott began to receive critical acclaim for his work, and he was included in a number of important exhibitions, such as the Venice Biennale and Documenta in Kassel. He was also awarded a CBE in 1966 for his contributions to British art. Scott's work continued to evolve throughout his career, and he began to experiment with different mediums, such as printmaking and sculpture. He was particularly interested in the tactile qualities of materials, and his sculptures often had a raw, unfinished quality to them. Today, Scott's work can be found in major museums and collections around the world, including the Tate Gallery in London, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C.