 He had studied physics at University College London, and became a poet and guitar scholar.In 1948 Roberts showed work at the Royal Academy summer exhibition for the first time – a self-portrait and a portrait of Sarah in a headscarf as "The Gypsy" – and he would show work there in every subsequent year until his death.In the 1950s, when cutting-edge British art was abstract, Roberts's work was in danger of seeming out of date.