This book is a comprehensive introduction to the life and work of the important British abstract painter William Scott (1913-1989). After studying at Belfast College of Art and the Royal Academy of Arts in London, Scott began his painting career in 1946 while teaching at Bath Academy of Art, concentrating on still lifes of household objects. By 1951, the forms had begun to take on a life of their own, sometimes as metaphors of erotic encounters between male and female. Moving back and forth between abstract and representational styles, Scott gained international renown and has been the subject of exhibitions around the world, including a major retrospective at Tate in 1972.