Born in 1850 into a well respected family, John Collier's father was a Member of Parliament and a Quaker merchant. His father's success allowed him to meet various people and one such man who would prove to offer John more than a simple legacy.

John Collier met Professor Thomas Henry Huxley. The professor had two daughters who would ultimately become John's wives. The professor's first daughter would die soon after child birth when she caught pneumonia. John's second wife was his first wife's younger sister. Both of his wives were artists.

John's paintings were highly sought after. He was one of the most intriguing painters of his era and innovative enough to keep his audiences interested with a broad range of portrait subjects.

His paintings included subjects like Caesar Borgia, a witch, a tramp, The Earl of Selborne and many others. John Collier was commissioned by King George V to paint him as Master of Trinity House in 1901.

His work was extraordinary because of his unusual command of using light and colors in a way few painters before him had been able to capture. His paintings The Land Baby and Lady Godiva capture his ability to create a specific mood within his artistic endeavors.

John Collier died in 1934. His paintings are housed in fabulous galleries around the world. Sixteen of them found homes in London's National Portrait Gallery.