Osbert Sitwell - Writing Career

Writing Career

In 1918 he left the Army with the rank of Captain and devoted himself to poetry, art criticism and controversial journalism. Together with his brother, he sponsored a controversial exhibition of works by Matisse, Utrillo, Picasso and Modigliani. The composer William Walton also greatly benefited from Osbert's largesse (though the two men afterwards fell out) and Walton's oratorio Belshazzar's Feast was written to Osbert's libretto. He published two books of poems: Argonaut and Juggernaut (1919) and At the House of Mrs Kinfoot (1921). In the mid-1920s he met David Horner who was his lover and companion for most of his life.