James L. Clark Silvered Bronze Elephant Sculpture

James Clark was born in the North of England and initially trained as an architect. However, it was painting that captured his imagination, and he won a scholarship to the National Art Training School in London. Clark finished his studies at L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, which accounts for the impressionistic way he handles his paint, confidently working with a thick impasto. On his return from Paris, Clark settled in London, where he became a regular exhibitor at the Royal Academy. Specializing in larger-scale works, Clark was commissioned several times to paint large scale works for Church interiors. Today, Clark is best known for his work, The Great Sacrifice, which he painted at the outbreak of the First World War, the painting was later renamed Duty and was purchased by King George V. Today, 24 of his works are in the National Collection of the United Kingdom.