George Campbell was one of Ireland's most pre-eminent painters of landscapes and still life. Campbell spent much of his life in Spain where he was awarded the Insignia and Privileges of the Order of the Merito Civile, the equivalent of a British knighthood. He also helped establish various artist-led organisations in Belfast. Campbell's painting made a bold impact on Ulster art and is widely credited for assisting the introduction of modernist principles into the then fairly provincial art scene.