William Papas ('Papas')
(1927-2000), Cartoonist and caricaturistArtist of 4 portraits
Grew up in South Africa, and studied at Johannesburg Art School. Moved to England in 1946 and studied at St Martin's School of Art in London. He spent two years travelling round Europe, sketching, before returning to South Africa and working as a staff artist and reporter on the Cape Times. In 1959, Papas moved to England and joined the Guardian. He worked at first as an illustrator and deputy to political cartoonist David Low. In 1961, he began contributing cartoons to the Sunday Times. Papas succeeded Low as political cartoonist on the Guardian in 1963. He left and moved to Greece in 1970, where he remained for thirteen years, after which he settled in Oregon, USA.
Harold Macmillan; Richard Austen Butler; John Selwyn Brooke Lloyd; Ernest Marples
by William Papas ('Papas')
pen and ink, early 1960s
NPG 5356
(Alfred) Ernest Marples, 1st Baron Marples; Richard Beeching, 1st Baron Beeching
by William Papas ('Papas')
pen and ink and blue crayon, published in the Guardian 24 September 1962
NPG 5357
'So what if we lose a few shopkeepers votes' he said
by William Papas ('Papas')
pen and ink and blue crayon, 1964
NPG 5360
Sir Edward Heath; (Alfred) Ernest Marples, 1st Baron Marples; Harold Wilson
by William Papas ('Papas')
pen and ink, 1965
NPG 5349
Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.
Joyce Forman
13 April 2016, 04:57
I purchased a Papas watercolor in about 1985 on the island of Hydra. Picture was of an older Greek man (maybe fisherman) with a sack slung over his back. The sack was in the shape of a butterfly. I am interested in contacting someone perhaps in his family that might know the history of the picture and who the man portrayed. I have an idea but not sure.
Elena Mannion
16 March 2017, 06:49
Message for Joyce Forman: Papasart is the website managed by Papas's wife, Theresa. You could reach her through the website. I am the Publisher at Pikku Publishing. We are republishing Papas's Greek fable TASSO, a outstanding children's story book, next month. There is still great interest in his work, and you may hear more about Papas in the media this month and next when TASSO is published. All good wishes, Elena Mannion