R.B. Kitaj (1932 - 2007) was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He first studied at the Cooper Union Institute in New York between 1950 and 1952 as well as spending time in Vienna at the Academy of Fine Art during 1951.  On moving to England he spent one year at the Ruskin School in Oxford  and then went on to the Royal College of Art in London (1959 - 1961) where he became close friends with David Hockney. His works are in  public collections worldwide.