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Vivian Forbes (8 August 1891 – 24 December 1937) was an English soldier, painter and poet in the early 20th century, and the longtime partner of painter 
Forbes was enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers and met Philpot at a training in Aldershot in 1915. He was involved in business in Egypt after the war, and before beginning a more serious relationship with Philpot. Like Philpot, Forbes' work was affected by concern over the rise of fascism in Europe, and he was influenced by the 19th century
Vivian Forbes (8 August 1891 – 24 December 1937) was an English soldier, painter and poet in the early 20th century, and the longtime partner of painter Glyn Philpot
Glyn Warren Philpot (5 October 188416 December 1937) was a British painter and sculptor, best known for his portraits of contemporary figures such as Siegfried Sassoon and Vladimir Rosing.
Early life
Philpot was born in Clapham, London, but ...
.
Forbes was enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers and met Philpot at a training in Aldershot in 1915. He was involved in business in Egypt after the war, and before beginning a more serious relationship with Philpot. Like Philpot, Forbes' work was affected by concern over the rise of fascism in Europe, and he was influenced by the 19th century Aestheticism
Aestheticism (also the Aesthetic movement) was an art movement in the late 19th century which privileged the aesthetic value of literature, music and the arts over their socio-political functions. According to Aestheticism, art should be pro ...
movement, and painters like Charles Ricketts
Charles de Sousy Ricketts (2 October 1866 – 7 October 1931) was a British artist, illustrator, author and printer, known for his work as a book designer and typographer and for his costume and scenery designs for plays and operas.
Ricketts ...
and Charles Haslewood Shannon
Charles Haslewood Shannon (26 April 1863 – 18 March 1937) was an English artist best known for his portraits. These appear in several major European collections, including London's National Portrait Gallery. Several authorities spell his mi ...
. Forbes also composed poetry, all of it dedicated to Philpot and their relationship. Forbes, Philpot, Ricketts and Shannon all had studios at some point in the Lansdown Road building of the Ladbroke Estate
The Ladbroke Estate was a substantial estate of land owned by the Ladbroke family in Notting Hill, London, England, in the early 19th century that was gradually developed and turned into housing during the middle years of the century, as London ...
.
Described as witty and charming, Forbes was also unstable, and his relationship with Philpot was very close. Following Philpot's sudden death on 18 December 1937, Forbes was overcome with grief, and committed suicide using sleeping pills on 23 December after Philpot's funeral.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forbes, Vivian 1891 births 1937 suicides English LGBT people 20th-century English painters English male painters British LGBT artists Painters who committed suicide Drug-related suicides in England 20th-century LGBT people 20th-century English male artists