Alfred Fontville de Breanski was born into a family of painters. Not only was his father the highly regarded Victorian landscape painter, Alfred de Bréanski, Sr., but his mother was the Welsh painter, Annie Roberts. In addition, his uncle Gustave de Bréanski was a noted seascape painter, and his aunt Julie had also trained as an artist. Working as a painter, then, was something of a family business. Born in London in 1877, the young de Breanski was the oldest son in a family of seven children. Naturally, he began to study art early in life, training with his father and uncle along with his younger brother, Arthur. He then enrolled at St. Martins School of Art, the prestigious London institution ...