Writer George Moore (1852–1933), member of an important Irish family, played a central part in liberating English literature from Victorian prudishness at the fin de siècle. A prime mover in popularizing impressionist painting in Britain, he transposed impressionist art into literature and imported French realism into the novel. Author of over sixty books including novels, short stories, memoirs, autobiography, plays, essays and poetry, he was an art critic at
The Speaker
. He was also a founder, with W. B. Yeats and Edward Martyn, of the Irish Literary Theatre; and he influenced James Joyce. An early modernist, his innovative prose evinced ever‐changing styles and disregarded existing genre boundaries. His storytelling ability is particularly remarkable. Noteworthy in his extensive œuvre are the psychological insights, the wide range of subject matter, the feminist sympathy, the subtle critique, and the musical style. A controversial reputation resulted from his devotion to fearlessness in art, somewhat distracting attention from his literary achievements.