Lot Essay
Having been educated at Oxford and being the half brother of the actor Beerbohm Tree, Max had an early contact with the theatre world. After graduation in 1893, he was introduced by the painter William Rothenstein into the circle of leading artists and writers of the day, amongst whom was Oscar Wilde (1856-1900). Remaining on the periphery of these groups, he depicted his friends from an early age, firmly establishing his reputable style as a caricaturist.