ABSTRACT
The sudden reputation and notoriety that Lewis achieved in 1914 as the leader of the Vorticists and editor of Blast had disappeared when peace broke out in 1919. Lewis was always extremely secretive about his family background, past life and personal feelings. Lewis spent weekends at Garsington and Renishaw, and travelled to Paris, Berlin and Venice. Lewis had always been very close to his mother and had been deeply upset when recalled from the front in November 1917 during her second attack of pneumonia. In September 1919 the Sitwells, whom Lewis had met during the War, suggested that he do a set of designs for Diaghilev’s Russian Ballet, based on Rowlandson, with music by their young protégé William Walton. Lewis had more spontaneous encounters with Joyce when he returned to Paris in May and June of 1921.
