Robbie Ross

Who was Robbie Ross?

Robert Baldwin "Robbie" Ross, maternal grandson of Canadian reform leader Robert Baldwin, son of John Ross and Augusta Elizabeth Baldwin, was a journalist and art critic and dealer, probably best known for his relationship with Oscar Wilde, to whom he was a literary executor and devoted friend. Ross was a pivotal figure on the London literary and artistic scene from the mid 1890's to his early death towards the end of the First Wold War. He was responsible for mentoring several great literary figures, such as Siegfried Sassoon. His open homosexuality in a time when homosexual acts were illegal brought him many hardships.