Hamilton, Richard

Richard Hamilton, English painter and graphic artist (1922-2011), was a pioneer of British pop art, often referred to as its founder. Like his American contemporaries, he criticized mass media culture.

Richard Hamilton began drawing at the age of seven. He attended evening classes at the Westminster School of Art while working in advertising. He also studied at the Royal Academy School and learned engraving and lithography at the Central School of Arts and Crafts. During the Second World War, he worked as a scientific draughtsman and contributed to the development of the first British transistors. After the war, he resumed his studies at the Slade School of Arts, graduating in 1951.