Louis Robert James, 1920-96, was an Adelaide born painter, illustrator and printmaker of immense significance particularly within the confines of 20th century Australian art. After World War II he established a reputation as an abstract and a figurative artist. For about 15 years he worked and showed in Europe, based in London, but from 1964 lived in Sydney, although in 1978 he revisited London and continental Europe and visited New York. Exhibited widely, especially in Australia, where in 1949 he had a one-man show at John Martin’s Gallery, Adelaide. In England showed in the 1950s and 1960s at Redfern Gallery, also at Stone Gallery in Newcastle upon Tyne. Had a retrospective show at Bonython-Meadmore Gallery, Adelaide, in 1986. Today Louis James work are held by many galleries in the UK, including the Tate, which has a self-portrait, and two Oxford Colleges, along with all of the major art galleries and educational establishments of Australia including the Art Gallery of NSW, the Auckland Art Gallery, the Art Gallery of South Australia and the National Gallery of Australia