Painter of imaginative and classical subjects in oil, tempera and gouache; mural painter; designer of film and stage sets; book illustrator and advertising designer. Born in Hastings, Sussex, after Oxford University Armstrong studied at St John’s Wood School of Art, 1913–14, then after service in the Army in World War I returned to St John’s Wood briefly. First one-man show at the Leicester Galleries in 1928, became a member of Unit One in 1933, exhibiting in a group show at the Mayor Gallery, 1934. After Unit One Armstrong’s work took on a Surrealist character. In the 1930s Armstrong worked as a designer for the theatre and films, including the first performance of the ballet Façade and several films made by Sir Alexander Korda. He also did work for Shell-Mex and ICI. During World War II Armstrong was an official war artist. After it he continued to exhibit widely, including The Storm, for the Festival of Britain in 1951, and at the RA extensively from that year. He painted a ceiling for the Council Chamber, Bristol, in 1955 and a mural for the Royal Marsden Hospital, at Sutton, Surrey, six years later. Armstrong had strong left-wing political convictions and from the time of the Spanish Civil War, when he painted Pro Patria, his pictures occasionally reflected his views. Symbolism is also a feature of his work. Armstrong’s pictures are fastidiously painted in muted colours and reflect his own dry wit and gentle nature. Memorial exhibition at RA in 1975, with tour. Lived in London.