William Roberts was a British painter known for his depictions of urban landscapes, portraits, and genre scenes. Born in Hackney, East London, Roberts studied art at the Slade School of Fine Art before serving in World War I. After the war, he became involved in the Vorticist movement and exhibited with the group in London and New York. In the 1920s, Roberts began to develop his own style, which drew on his experiences of life in London. His paintings of city streets, markets, and public transport captured the energy and dynamism of the modern city. He was also interested in portraiture and painted a number of prominent figures of the day, including T. S. Eliot, W. B. Yeats, and Ezra Pound. During World War II, Roberts was an official war artist and created a series of paintings depicting the lives of people in bomb shelters. After the war, he continued to produce work that reflected his interest in the human condition, including depictions of workers and crowds. In the 1950s and 1960s, he became associated with the Kitchen Sink School of painters, who focused on working-class life and the realities of postwar Britain. Roberts' work was widely exhibited in the UK and abroad, and he was awarded numerous prizes throughout his career. He was also a prominent art educator, teaching at the Royal College of Art and the Central School of Art and Design in London. His legacy continues to influence British art, particularly in his commitment to depicting the everyday and his interest in the human figure.