Wyndham Lewis was the leader of the art movement which was named Vorticism by one of its members, Ezra Pound, who described the vortex as “the point of maximum energy.” Vorticist paintings are characterised by their vibrancy, which is created through the use of bright blocks of colour and heavy architectural lines. Lewis is perhaps best known for his abstract Vorticist paintings, and although the style of most of Lewis’s portraits is vastly different, his involvement in Vorticism is crucial to an understanding of his work as a whole. Vorticism was not just a painter’s movement; it included poets (Ezra Pound) and sculptors (Henri Gaudier-Brzeska) among its members. The Vorticists also had affiliations with other artists who did not wish to be labelled as part of the group, and the Vorticist magazine, Blast (1914–15), which showcased new Vorticist works, had many contributors, including Jacob Epstein and T. S. Eliot. Blast itself could be described as a Vorticist work of art, with the aggressive and witty tone of its manifestos, large, bold type and its attempt to unite many different art forms under one banner. The momentum of Vorticism (and Blast) was interrupted by the First World War and the movement never recovered, despite Lewis’s attempts after the war. Vorticism was a formative influence on Lewis’s public persona, as well as his painting and writing.