John Armstrong (1893–1973) trained at St John’s Wood School of Art and developed a highly versatile career that defies easy classification. He designed theatre and film sets and murals and, in 1933, co-founded the modernist group Unit One with Paul Nash. Appointed an official war artist during World War II, he later focused on painting and was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1966. His work is represented in major British collections, including Tate, the V&A, and the Imperial War Museum.