Sir Samuel Luke Fildes (1844 – 1927) was a charitable painter who hoped his artwork would positively impact poverty and injustice. Born in England, Fildes was raised by his grandmother, a political activist who instilled in him compassion for the poor. Influenced by Social Realist works, he illustrated magazines with images of poverty intended to raise social consciousness. One work so impressed Charles Dickens, he asked the artist to illustrate “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” Fildes later specialized in portraiture, and became the highest paid artist in England. He was knighted in 1906 by King Edward VII, whose portrait he had painted. Fildes' remarkable work, “The Doctor,” is one of only 57 artworks continuously displayed in England’s Tate Museum.

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