Study of a Head

Harold Speed produced many landscapes and figure compositions, but it was in portraiture that he showed his true talent. He was an academic painter, with his work being more remarkable for the accuracy of his drawing and polished execution, rather than for depth of feeling or interesting design. He was a popular society portraitist, painting portraits of King Edward VII (1841 - 1910), William Holman Hunt (1827 - 1910), Sir Robert Baden-Powell (1857 - 1941) and many others.