George Clausen was born in London in 1852. His wide-ranging training included stints at the National Art Training School, South Kensington, Antwerp Academy and later at the Académie Julian in Paris.
His career began in London in the 1870s before moving to St Albans in 1881. There
he had access to plentiful rural subjects, the depiction of which revealed his deep admiration for the naturalist Jules Bastien-Lepage.
In 1886, Clausen was a founding member of the progressive New Art Club before a move to Essex in 1890 ushered in a new chapter of works based on country life. He was eventually appointed Professor of Painting at the Royal Academy Schools, becoming an Academician in 1908 and a Senior Academician in 1927, the year in which he received a knighthood. After serving as an Official War Artist during World War One, Clausen split his time between London and Essex. He spent World War Two living in Berkshire, where he died in 1944.
